Altenstadt - St. Michael

Approaching the small, unimpressive village of Altenstadt the visitor will find a really impressing romanesque basilica. The church is way too big for the village.

The original name of the village was "Scongoe". Founded on a hill over the river Lech, it controlled the old roman "highway" from Augsburg to Italy - and over the time got wealthy and proud. So they started to build this St.Michael-church between 1170 and 1220.

Just after the church was completed, discussions started and the whole village moved (for strategic reasons) to a new place, just a few kilometres away and started the (still existing) "Schongau", naming the old place "Altenstadt" (= old town). As there were no people to care for the abandoned church, and over the many years (fortunately) no money, to change it into gothic, baroque or rococo style, purity has survived here.

I have uploaded already many photos taken in Altenstadt during prior visits. So just a few "new" photos now.

The baptismal font is so delicate, that some scholars reckon, that it may not have been carved (1200) for this church but for some more "important" place. It shows Mary and the child, John the Baptist, the baptism of Jesus (here) and St. Michael fighting Luzifer. Down below you can see the rivers of paradise, flowing out of the mouths of that strange heads.