Stephansdom — St. Stephen’s Cathedral — is the symbolic heart of Vienna. The Gothic cathedral has anchored the city for over 700 years, with construction beginning in 1137 and the iconic South Tower (Steffl) completed in 1433. The cathedral survived the 1683 Ottoman siege, the 1809 Napoleonic occupation, and the 1945 fire in the final days of WWII that destroyed most of the interior. The first church to occupy the site of St. Stephan's Cathedral was a Romanesque church, which was replaced by a larger Romanesque basilica in 1147. A major fire in 1258 destroyed the basilica and construction on the present Gothic cathedral began in the early 14th century.The cathedral suffered damage during the Turkish seige of 1683 and again in the closing days of World War II, when fire from streetfighting leapt to the rooftop. The cathedral was reopened in 1948; the roof was repaired and decorated with ceramic tiles donated by Viennese citizens in 1950.
Among the important events that have occurred at St. Stephen's are Mozart's wedding in 1782 and his funeral in December 1791.