Vienna’s imperial burial places are more than just final resting places. They are a testimony to centuries of European history, and art history as such. This walk leads from St. Stephen’s Cathedral to the Kaisergruft (Imperial Burial Vault) beneath the Kapuzinerkirche (Capuchin Church) and the Herzgruft (Heart Crypt) in the former court church of St. Augustine’s. See the monumental late gothic marble tomb of Roman Emperor Frederick III adorned with 240 intricately carved miniature statues of saints and apostles – in 2013 sensational photographs of its interior documented the most elaborate interment of a medieval European ruler ever discovered - marvel at the sumptuous rococo sarcophagus of Maria Theresa and her husband, and wonder why 54 Habsburg hearts were buried in silver urns. We tell you all about death at the imperial court, the customs and rituals connected with embalming, also the pompous funeral processions as displays of power and glory.
