Theatinerkirche St. Kajetan, Munich

Theatinerkirche St. Kajetan is the church before you, with a pale monumental façade and paired towers. Its story begins with a vow: Henriette Adelaide of Savoy promised a grand church after the birth of an heir, and the foundation stone followed in 1663.

Agostino Barelli created the design, drawing on Sant’Andrea della Valle in Rome; Enrico Zuccalli later shaped the exterior, dome and towers. The church was consecrated in 1675, although work continued for years. The façade you see came later: François de Cuvilliés the Elder designed it in 1765, and his son completed it.

This makes the building an important early arrival of Italian High Baroque in Bavaria, and it went on to influence other churches. The broad entrance composition is held together by strong horizontal bands, while columns and pilasters give it a rising rhythm. Look at the heraldic emblem above the main entrance, where angels hold the arms of the ruling couple.

Inside, the church follows a domed basilica plan shaped like a Latin cross. War damage in 1944 and 1945 was followed by reconstruction beginning in 1946. Since 1954, Dominican friars have cared for the church. Beneath it, the crypt holds the Prince’s Tomb, with members of Bavaria’s Wittelsbach family.