The Votivkirche is one of the most spectacular examples of neo-Gothic architecture in Europe and one of the most impressive religious buildings in Vienna. Located on the famous Ringstraße at Rooseveltplatz, this majestic basilica with its twin 99-metre towers dominates the Viennese cityscape and is regarded as the ‘Cathedral of the Ringstraße’ due to its prominent location and architectural magnificence. The church was built as a votive offering after the failed assassination attempt on Emperor Franz Joseph I on 18 February 1853, when a Hungarian independence fighter attempted to stab the young emperor during a walk along the city walls. Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian, the emperor’s brother and future emperor of Mexico, immediately promoted a fund-raising campaign to build a church ‘as a sign of thanksgiving for His Majesty’s salvation’. Designed by the architect Heinrich von Ferstel, then only 26 years old, the Votivkirche was built between 1856 and 1879 according to the canons of the great French Gothic cathedrals of the 13th century. The church was solemnly consecrated on 24 April 1879, the silver wedding day of Franz Joseph and Elisabeth, in a ceremony that combined thanksgiving for the narrow escape from danger with the celebration of imperial love.