St. Peter's Abbey in Salzburg is one of the oldest monasteries in Central Europe. In 696, St. Rupert founded a Benedictine monastery on the site of a late antique church, with the aim of promoting Christianity in the Eastern Alps region. Even earlier, hermit monks lived in these places, traces of whose presence can be seen in the catacombs located next to St. Peter's Cemetery.
Until the beginning of the 12th century, the abbey served as the residence of the local archbishops. In 1143, St. Peter's Church was built on the monastery grounds and, after numerous reconstructions, became a прекрасным example of Baroque architecture. The interior of the church is decorated with paintings, sculptures, and elegant stucco work.
St. Peter's Abbey has always been renowned for its educational work. In the Middle Ages, an उत्कृष्ट school of writing operated here. In 1623, Archbishop Paris Count von Lodron founded the University of Salzburg here, where theology, jurisprudence, the humanities, and natural sciences were taught. The monastery owns a priceless library, in whose archives rare texts and manuscripts are preserved, many of these documents older than the abbey itself.
