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The site where the current Salzburg Cathedral or Dom of Salzburg stands was probably a sacred place for rituals and sacrifices from Celtic and Roman times. Salzburg's Cathedral is probably Salzburg's the most significant piece of church architecture. With its glorious facade and mighty dome the Salzburger Dom represents the most impressive early Baroque style of the north of the Alps. The first cathedral of Salzburg was built on this site by Bishop Virgil who came to Salzburg in around 767 and built a cathedral on the site of the previous Roman Juvavum. In 774 the Salzburg Cathedral was consecrated to St. Virgil and St. Rupert. Two big fires, in 1167 and 1598, greatly damaged the Salzburg Cathedral. The Cathedral was completely rebuilt by architect Santino Solari which became the first early Baroque church north of the Alps. Since then, the Salzburg Castle was damaged on two main occasions; during the renovation works, the Dom caught fire in 1859 and during second World War, an American bomb hit the building so hard that the great dome collapsed. From 1945 to 1959, the Salzburg Castle was rebuilt in its original shape.
Among the many important objects to be found in Salzburg Cathedral
are the baptismal font in which Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was also
baptised, the majestic organ, surrounded by angels playing
instruments and crowned by St. Rupert and St. Virgil and the
glorious Cathedral portals made by Scheider-Manzell, Matare and
Manzu. As the court organist and concert master, Wolfgang
Amadeus Mozart composed many works of sacred music for Salzburg.
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