Did you know that Empress Wilhelmine Amalia personally funded the construction of this very convent? This is the Salesian Convent home to the church of St. Franz von Sales. It stands as a testament to her piety and foresight. Wilhelmine Amalia the widow of Emperor Joseph I desired a place of seclusion. She also envisioned a haven for young women from impoverished aristocratic or upper-middle-class families. Vienna lacked adequate educational institutions for them. She wanted to establish a school and boarding school within the convent.
This magnificent Baroque building on Rennweg boasts stunning vaulted ceilings long corridors and tall windows. Its serene location nestled between the Belvedere Palace and the Botanical Garden belies its proximity to one of Vienna’s busiest thoroughfares. The convent’s enclosed courtyard leads to important rooms. These include the sisters’ choir the refectory and the parish room. The church itself is a striking elongated oval structure. Its high dome is visible from afar.
Inside the convent church admire the Assumption of the Virgin Mary a breathtaking ceiling painting by Giovanni Antonio Pellegrini. A relic of Blessed Emperor Karl I is also housed here. The church’s impressive organ dates back to 1890 crafted by Johann M Kauffmann. This building’s history is intricately woven with the life of Empress Wilhelmine Amalia. Following the death of her husband and the devastating plague that swept through Vienna she sought solace in religious life. But first she dedicated herself to the education of her daughters. Their succession to the throne demanded her attention.
The foundation stone of the convent was laid on May 13 1717. The consecration of the church took place exactly two years later on May 13 1719. The Empress her daughters and the court attended the solemn ceremony. The first Austrian woman took her vows in this very church. Within five years the number of sisters had doubled. Empress Amalia maintained a close relationship with the sisters. She also personally oversaw the well-being of the young women under their care. After her daughters married she retired to a wing of the convent built especially for her. Yet she still actively participated in her family’s life.
The Empress passed away within these walls on April 10 1742. She fulfilled her wish to wear the habit of the Salesian Sisters as she breathed her last. She now rests in the convent crypt among the sisters she cherished so deeply. The convent continues to thrive a living legacy to her enduring faith. A testament to the vision of St. Francis de Sales and St. Johanna Franziska von Chantal whose order the Salesian Sisters belong to. This church of St Franz von Sales stands as a beacon of faith and history in the heart of Vienna.