Description of the attraction
Perhaps the main attraction of the city of St. Gilgen is the house of Mozart's mother. This building was acquired by the grandparents of the famous composer. Mozart's grandfather was a highly respected person in St. Gilgen. He served as a judge. Mozart himself never came to this city, which does not prevent local residents from exploiting his image with might and main.
Interestingly, his elder sister, whom everyone called Nannerl, lived for some time in St. Gilgen. Her husband was from St. Gilgen. She occupied the Pertley mansion. Mozart's sister Anna Maria lived in St. Gilgen until the death of her husband on February 26, 1801. After that, she left for Salzburg.
The house of Mozart, which now houses the museum, was first mentioned in written documents from 1569. In 1691, the district court settled here, where the grandfather of the future composer, Wolfgang Niklas Perthl, lived. In 1718-1720, he repaired and rebuilt this building at his own expense. The current Mozart mansion was designed by the architect Sebastian Stumpfegger. The coat of arms over the entrance portal is decorated with the date "1720" and a commemorative inscription.
St. Gilgen's connection with the Mozart family was forgotten in the 19th century. In 1905, Judge Anton Matzig discovered old documents in the attic of his own house, from which it followed that the relatives of the famous composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart lived here almost two centuries ago. Then Matzig ordered the Viennese sculptor Jacob Gruber a commemorative panel on which you can see images of Mozart's mother and sister. This plaque was placed on the facade of the Mozart House on August 16, 1906 and is still there today.
Since 2005, the Mozart mansion has been owned by the St. Gilgen Cultural Association, and in 2007 it was declared a national architectural monument.
