Munich Churches: St. Kajetan (Theatinerkirche)

The church St. Kajetan, also called "Theatinerkirche", at the Odeonsplatz in the center of Munich was built from the year 1663 onwards.

Henriette Adelaide of Savoy, the wife of elector Ferdinand Maria, had promised to have built the most beautiful church if a successor to the throne was born. In 1664, she gave birth to Max Emanuel and Henriette and her husband put the Bolognese architect Agostino Barelli in charge of designing St. Kajetan in late baroque style.

The construction works of the church, however, took very long because many problems occurred. The architect Agostino Barelli started building St. Kajetan on the model of the church St. Andrea della Valle in Rome. Due to arguments with the construction manager Antonio Spinelli, Barelli managed to finish the structural works only in 1674 and left Munich. The exterior as well as interior works were carried out by Enrico Zuccalli together with some other architects.

Although still not finished, the church was consecrated in 1675. As Henriette Adelaide of Savoy died one year later, she did not experience the completion of the Theatinerkirche any more.
Only about 100 years later, the facade was finished by Francois de Cuvillies in Rococo style.