The Romanesque basilica dates back to the 11th century, the choir and ornate tower are from the 13th century. The massive cupola and the elaborate Baroque façade were constructed between 1710 and 1716. The Baroque remodeling of the interior lasted until 1788 and was accomplished by the Zimmermann brothers. A beautiful sandstone sculpture of the Madonna, an early piece by Tilman Riemenschneider, is located inside the basilica. The WWII air raids on March 16, 1945 did not completely destroy the church, even though the interior burned out almost completely. A few excellent pieces of medieval and Baroque era art survived the attack.
The Würzburg Neumünster Church reopened after extensive renovations on June 24, 2009, the St. Johannes feast day. The Neumünster Church is considered the cradle of Christianity in Franconia and it is a revered site in the region. The church sits at the location where the Franconian apostles Kilian, Kolonat, and Totnan were assassinated in 689 due to their faith. Their bones were interred clandestinely initially. The church is also the gravesite of the holy martyr Georg Häffner (1900 – 1942).