Capuchin monastery Linz

The former Capuchin monastery in Linz stands in the city centre of Upper Austria’s capital. Its main building, the former monastery and parish church of St Matthias, was dedicated to the apostle Matthias and belonged to the Linz-Mitte deanery. The complex, including parts of the monastery, has been protected as a listed monument since 2022 and is now being restored. The monastery was founded in 1606 by Archduke Matthias, later Holy Roman Emperor, and built by master builder Christoph Martin Spaz between 1606 and 1612. After enlargement in the 17th century, the church became a parish church in 1784 during the Josephine reforms. The Capuchins ran a printing press, a seminary and later a student hostel until the monastery was dissolved in 1991. Visitors now find a revitalised complex with a former church adapted for events and gastronomy. The monastery’s historic courtyard, freed of overgrowth, leads to preserved wings around it. Archaeologists uncovered remains of a medieval vineyard house dating back to the 12th century during the works. The tower and church clock are being repaired, and a new six-storey building occupies part of the former monastery garden.