Interior view

The buildings of the Augustinian choral foundation in St. Florian, south of Linz, were initially begun by Carlo Antonio Carlone in 1686. He constructed a church based on the proportions and with the structural organization of the Jesuit church of the Gesu in Rome. Apparently the scheme was for an aisleless nave with galleries above the side chapels.

After Carlone’s death, Jakob Prandtauer continued the work from 1706 to 1724. He designed the monastic ensemble as a large-scale rectangle. From the west front of the church he developed an elongated wing with a richly sculptured doorway and an adjacent stairwell, the latter already complete in 1714. The steps led to the Emperor’s apartments and are adorned with arcades and a substantial arch with columns. Prandtauer planned an elegant marble hall for the centre of the south wing. This project occupied him until his death. The library in the east wing was not built until 1744 to 1751, long after Prandtauer’s death.

The picture shows the Marble Hall.