St. Mauritius Church

This Catholic Parish church located on the Schlossberg Hill was designed by the famous Baroque-era architect Balthasar Neumann (1687-1753). The originally Gothic-era small church, dedicated to St. Mauritius, was expanded in the 17^th century by the Würzburg Royal Architect Antonio Petrini. The Earl Rudolf Franz Erwein von Schönborn then commissioned the construction of an entirely new church from 1727 to 1732. This relatively short construction timeframe was not unusual for Baroque era projects. Architects utilized tricks, such as the use of imitation materials and architectural illusion. The church interior features a surprising ceiling fresco by the Italian painter Giovanni Francesco Marchini (1672 – 1745). The viewer experiences the illusion of a cupola church in Rome.