“The Franciscan Church is presumably even older than the cathedral, its construction ascribed to St. Virgil. And like practically all of Salzburg’s houses of worship, it was also ravaged by fire. Its reconstruction at the turn of the 12th century also served as a symbol of Salzburg’s emergent merchant sector, further amplified at the beginning of the 15th century, when the self-confident middle classes possessed the means to renovate the church. The magnificent hall chancel is an architectural masterpiece, creating the imposing contrast between light and dark which makes the Franciscan Church so unique.”
