St. Rupert's Church stands in one of Vienna's oldest districts, within the former Roman settlement of Vindobona. It is dedicated to Saint Rupert of Salzburg, patron saint of the city's salt merchants, and it is traditionally considered the oldest church in Vienna, though that is debated. It was probably founded between 796 and 829, and it is first documented in 1200. Until 1147 it was the seat of the religious administration, which then moved to Stephansdom.
The style is Romanesque, with Baroque elements added in 1622. The choir was built in the thirteenth century and the southern nave in the fifteenth. Fire caused damage and alterations in 1276, and shellfire damaged it in World War II.
Its bells, from around 1280, are the oldest in Vienna. Two Romanesque stained glass windows survive in the apse.
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