Graz Mausoleum

Beside the cathedral in Graz stands the mausoleum of Emperor Ferdinand II, one of the most important Mannerist buildings in the country. Begun in the early seventeenth century, it is crowned by an oval dome and a smaller domed chapel, their green copper roofs a distinctive sight above the old town. The lavish interior, partly designed by the architect Fischer von Erlach early in his career, is decorated with pink and white stucco, frescoes and gilded altars. It holds the tombs of the emperor and members of his family.