Church of St. Maria Loreto

Despite its unassuming exterior, the Loretokirche, a church in Mirabell Gardens that serves Capuchin Order nuns, has a small surprise in store. Its interior is famed for its sacred paintings, particularly the so-called Loretokindel, which dates from the 17th century.

Loreto Church receives a large number of visitors at all hours of the day. On the one hand, this is owing to its strategic location near Mirabell Gardens on Paris-Lodron-Straße. Those seeking calm and thought, on the other hand, will find themselves surrounded by a number of holy paintings, including one of Maria Loreto in the right side-chapel. The Loretokindel attracts a steady stream of tourists and is revered for its allegedly miraculous qualities. This little ivory carving of Jesus, about 11 cm tall, originated from the 17th century. It is dressed in a jewel-encrusted cloak crafted by convent sisters. Pilgrims from all around the world come to press the image against their heads.

Loreto Church in Salzburg has a long and illustrious history dating back to the upheaval of the Thirty Years War. In 1632, the sisters of the Loreto Convent in Landshut were forced to evacuate to Salzburg. They were granted permission to establish a convent by Archbishop Paris Lodron, and the cornerstone was placed in September 1633. The convent has 30 chambers for nuns to utilize.

The monastery was utilized as a barracks and ammunition warehouse during the French occupation of Salzburg in 1800. The convent was threatened with dissolution only six years later. To avert this, the nuns decided to start feeding the underprivileged and have run a soup kitchen for the needy ever since. During WWII, the church was bombed and severely damaged during an air strike. Loreto Church, on the other hand, was reconstructed and re-consecrated in 1946.