Katharinenkirche und Mausoleum, Graz

About

The mausoleum complex consists of two connected structures, the Katharinenkirche ( St. Catherine’s Church ) and the adjoining oval burial chapel. The overall design was developed by Giovanni Pietro de Pomis (1569–1633), a Lombard born painter and architect.

The church features a Latin cross floor plan, while the southern section is an oval central plan chapel, a form traditionally associated with the symbolism of the Resurrection. Construction began in 1614 on the site of a former cemetery chapel dedicated to St. Catherine.

Progress was intermittent, after Ferdinand became Holy Roman Emperor in 1619 and relocated to Vienna, the pace of construction slowed. Around 1619–1620, Giovanni Pietro de Pomis modified the façade design, removing much of the original stucco and adding two segmental gables. By 1622, work on the roof was in progress, and in the mid-1630s, Pietro Valnegro, who succeeded De Pomis, completed the cupolas and a tall tower.

Major exterior construction was largely finished by 1637. However, when Ferdinand died in 1637, the tomb chapel remained only partially completed, and he was interred in a vault that was not yet fully enclosed. The interior decoration was added…