St. Stephen's Cathedral, Catholic cathedral in Innere Stadt, Vienna, Austria
St. Stephen's Cathedral is a Catholic place of worship in the center of Vienna and one of Austria's tallest church buildings. The multi-colored tile pattern on the roof displays a double-headed eagle and the city coat of arms, while the two towers rise to different heights.
Founded in 1137 by the Treaty of Mautern between Margrave Leopold IV and Bishop Reginmar of Passau, the first church was consecrated in 1147. Duke Rudolf IV began the Gothic westward extension in 1359, and the south tower was finished in 1433. The Diocese of Vienna was established in 1469, with the cathedral as its mother church.
The cathedral is dedicated to Saint Stephen, whose feast on 26 December determined the church's eastward orientation toward sunrise on that day in 1137. Since 1365 it has housed the Allerheiligenkapitel, a community of priests, and the second patron is All Saints. The Pummerin in the north tower is rung for three minutes each 23 April to mark the 1263 reconsecration.
The building opens early in the morning each day and closes late in the evening, allowing visitors to enter throughout the day and into the evening hours. Guided tours of the main hall, catacombs, and observation towers run regularly.
The Pummerin bell hangs in the north tower and ranks among Europe's largest free-swinging church bells. It rings only on special occasions such as New Year or major religious celebrations.
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