ABSTRACT
Encircling Salzburg’s cathedral is a series of distinct grouped squares. These semi-autonomous yet interdependent public rooms each play a particular, often complementary role in the civic life of the city. The cathedral, initially designed by Scamozzi but completed by Santino Solari, defines Salzburg’s square ensemble. Placing the cathedral at the center of a large space effectively created three distinct squares each representing and fulfilling the three aspects of civic life: religious, governmental and commercial. The most formal of the three is the Domplatz or Cathedral Square. This geometrically pure and closed square is essentially a parvis or church forecourt often used for religious ceremonies. Demarcated by the cathedral’s façade and by the Residenz and the Abbey of St. Peter on the three remaining sides, its central axis leads from the cathedral’s main entry toward the smaller church of St. Peter. Despite its clear axial organization and tight enclosure, two colonnades on either side of the cathedral’s façade offer a glimpse to spaces skirting either side of the cathedral. The colonnades continue the enclosure, like Piazza San Pietro in Vaticano, creates a permeable edge through which a pedestrian connects to spaces beyond. These colonnades also help emphasize the transition from the formal parvis by offering a spatial compression that then open into the Residenzplatz to the north and to the Kapitalplatz to the south.
