Vienna: Building the Baroque Capital under Emperor Charles VI

In post-Reformation Europe, the upheaval in Christian belief was contested not only through theology and warfare, but also through culture, imagery, and the built environment. This lecture explores how Emperor Charles VI reshaped Vienna into a powerful stage for Baroque expression, using art and architecture as instruments of persuasion and authority in the face of Protestant ideas spreading southward.

Focusing on Vienna as both an imperial capital and a frontline of confessional identity, the talk examines how the city was consciously reimagined to embody the ideals of the Counter-Reformation. Churches, palaces, and public spaces became vehicles for spectacle, devotion, and political messaging, projecting the power and continuity of Catholic rule within the Holy Roman Empire.

In contrast to Rome—the traditional heart of Catholic artistic production—Vienna offers a compelling perspective as a dynamic political and social centre where imperial ambition and religious ideology converged. This talk situates the city within a broader…