Katholische Hofkirche (Cathedral Santissimae Trinitatis)

The Katholische Hofkirche, also called the Cathedral Santissimae Trinitatis, stands at Schlossplatz 1 in Dresden's Altstadt, in Saxony, Germany, next to the Residenzschloss and the Semperoper. It was built between 1739 and 1755 by the Italian architect Gaetano Chiaveri for Augustus III, who as a Catholic ruler of a mainly Lutheran state needed a court church for his own worship. It is the largest church in Saxony and, since 1980, the cathedral of the Catholic diocese of Dresden-Meissen. The exterior is Baroque, with a tall tower, a roof balustrade decorated with 78 sandstone statues of saints and a facade facing the Elbe. Inside, visitors find a bright, high nave with a processional ambulatory, a rococo pulpit by Balthasar Permoser, a large organ by Gottfried Silbermann, and a crypt where members of the Wettin dynasty are buried, among them Augustus the Strong's heart, which is kept in a separate vessel. The church is also known for the Hofkirche choir and for concerts. A visit takes about 20 to 30 minutes, longer for the crypt. The best views of the exterior are from the Augustus Bridge and the Brühl Terrace staircase, where the tower rises above the statues against the sky, and from Theaterplatz in the evening. The church is busiest at midday on weekends and in summer when groups pass between the Zwinger and the Residenzschloss. Weekday midday offers the quietest time to look inside. Entry is free, though donations are welcome, and opening hours are shorter on Sundays because of services. It sits just beside the Fürstenzug and the Brühl Terrace stairs, making it an easy stop on a walk through the Baroque core of Dresden.