Vienna’s Karlskirche, arguably the city’s finest Baroque building, was built starting in 1716 under the patronage of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles (Karl) VI—but it’s not actually named for him. The emperor had promised a church in gratitude for the end of Vienna’s last great plague outbreak. He dedicated it to his patron saint, St. Charles Borromeo, revered as a healer of plague victims.
The two columns flanking the main entrance contain a spiral bas-relief portrayal of the saint’s life and works. The church is sited so that it originally had a straight view across town to the Hofburg, the imperial palace, and until 1918 it was the official parish church for the royal family.
J. B. Fisher and his son J.E. were the architects; they borrowed Greek portico, Roman columns, an Italianate dome and more in the design. There’s even a resemblance to the earlier Peterskirche, below, a short distance away. The interior of the church is incredible; I wish I had usable pictures, but you can see some HERE.
