Carinthia / Kaernten

The ruins of Stift Arnoldstein, a Benedict monastery, founded by Otto von Bamberg in 1106, tower over the town of Arnoldstein, that borders to Italy and to Slowenia. St. Lambert, the parish church, is quite new, but the sculptures over the fountain are some centuries old. They actually came from the monastery, that existed upto 1783.

An independent parish existed in Fuernitz, today a part of Finkenstein am Faaker See, since 1296. The church may be even a bit older, it is a Romanesque structure. Looking down to the nave from the gallery.

Approaching Maria Gail, an important center of pilgrimage in Carinthia since centuries. It is locally claimed, that Langobardian missionaries may have founded Maria Gail within the 6th century. The church is mentioned the first time in 1136. The once massive Romanesque church got enlarged (in Gothic style) between 1400 and 1450 - and in 1478 severely damaged by Turkish troops during the Ottoman incursions. It got rebuilt and re-consecrated in 1486.

Maria Gail is an important center of pilgrimage in Carinthia since centuries. It is locally claimed, that Langobardian missionaries may have founded Maria Gail within the 6th century. The church was mentioned the first time in 1136. The once massive Romanesque church got enlarged (in Gothic style) between 1400 and 1450 and a large narthex was added. In 1478 the church got severely damaged by Turkish troops during the Ottoman incursions. It got rebuilt and re-consecrated in 1486. Some parts of the Romanesque church got reused here, note the lion / gargoyle.

Maria Gail is an important center of pilgrimage in Carinthia since centuries. It is locally claimed, that Langobardian missionaries may have founded Maria Gail within the 6th century. The church was mentioned the first time in 1136. The once massive Romanesque church got enlarged (in Gothic style) between 1400 and 1450. In 1478 the church got severely damaged by Turkish troops during the Ottoman incursions. It got rebuilt and re-consecrated in 1486. Maria Gail is known for the high quality of the Gothic and Baroque altars. During a renovation in 1950 late Romanesque frescoes were discovered along the walls of the nave. The two white pillars in the foreground (based on lions) may as well date to the Romanesque time of the church.

Maria Gail is an important center of pilgrimage in Carinthia since centuries. It is locally claimed, that Langobardian missionaries may have founded Maria Gail within the 6th century. The church was mentioned the first time in 1136. The once massive Romanesque church got enlarged (in Gothic style) between 1400 and 1450. In 1478 the church got severely damaged by Turkish troops during the Ottoman incursions. It got rebuilt and re-consecrated in 1486. Maria Gail is known for the high quality of the Gothic and Baroque altars. During a renovation in 1950 late Romanesque frescoes were discovered along the walls of the nave. Facing west to the gallery. When the church got rebuilt after the ravages in the second half of the 15th century, the new nave got a very nice Gothic rib vaulting.

Maria Gail is an important center of pilgrimage in Carinthia since centuries. It is locally claimed, that Langobardian missionaries may have founded Maria Gail within the 6th century. The church was mentioned the first time in 1136. The once massive Romanesque church got enlarged (in Gothic style) between 1400 and 1450. In 1478 the church got severely damaged by Turkish troops during the Ottoman incursions. It got rebuilt and re-consecrated in 1486. During a renovation in 1950 late Romanesque frescoes (13th.) were discovered under the plaster along the walls of the nave. Here is one of them, depicting the flagellation. The torturers wear cone-shaped "Jewish" hats making very clear, that the persons seen here, are jews. To wear such hats was enforced in many places in medieval times, in order to distinguish Jews from Christians.

Maria Gail is an important center of pilgrimage in Carinthia since centuries. It is locally claimed, that Langobardian missionaries may have founded Maria Gail within the 6th century. The church was mentioned the first time in 1136. The once massive Romanesque church got enlarged (in Gothic style) between 1400 and 1450. In 1478 the church got severely damaged by Turkish troops during the Ottoman incursions. It got rebuilt and re-consecrated in 1486. During a renovation in 1950 late Romanesque frescoes (13th.) were discovered under the plaster along the walls of the nave. Fixed onto the southern outer wall are some Romanesque scupltures, that probably originate from the preciding church, that was ruined by the Turkish troops. Here is Saint George and the dragon (left) and praying person (?) and a lion holding the head of a ram (right).

Maria Gail is an important center of pilgrimage in Carinthia since centuries. It is locally claimed, that Langobardian missionaries may have founded Maria Gail within the 6th century. The church was mentioned the first time in 1136. The once massive Romanesque church got enlarged (in Gothic style) between 1400 and 1450. In 1478 the church got severely damaged by Turkish troops during the Ottoman incursions. It got rebuilt and re-consecrated in 1486. During a renovation in 1950 late Romanesque frescoes (13th.) were discovered under the plaster along the walls of the nave. Fixed onto the southern outer wall outise are some Romanesque scupltures, that probably originate from the preciding church, that got ruined by the Turkish troops. These two angels belonged once to a large "Last Judgement"-group. The right one blows the horn, while the left one is (smiling!) Archangel St. Michael, who holds the scale for the "Weighing of the Souls".

A church may have been here already in 888, when the place was mentioned as "Veldchiricha" by Arnulf of Carinthia. Arnulf, after having overthrown his uncle Charles III (aka "Charles the Fat"), became the Carolingian king of East Francia, later King of Italy and for two years Holy Roman Emperor. It in known, that the "House of Eppenstein", had a proprietary church here around 1065. The erection of the church seen today started in 1166, after the place got integrated into the diocese of Bamberg. The Romanesque basilica and the tower got then altered in Gothic times, when an additonal nave was added - and the basilica got a new roof, now covering nave and side aisles. After the incursion of the Turkish troops in 1478, the church got fortified, what did not help much, when Hungarian troops ("Schwarze Armee") raided the area only 4 years later. This complex got again (and finally) enlarged in 1986. The round karner (ossuary) has two storeys and was built in the 12th century.

A church may have been here already in 888, when the place was mentioned as "Veldchiricha" by Arnulf of Carinthia. Arnulf, after having overthrown his uncle Charles III (aka "Charles the Fat"), became the Carolingian king of East Francia, later King of Italy and for two years Holy Roman Emperor. It in known, that the "House of Eppenstein", had a proprietary church here around 1065. The erection of the church seen today started in 1166, after the place got integrated into the diocese of Bamberg. The Romanesque basilica and the tower got then altered in Gothic times, when an additonal nave was added - and the basilica got a new roof, now covering nave and side aisles. After the incursion of the Turkish troops in 1478, the church got fortified, what did not help much, when Hungarian troops ("Schwarze Armee") raided the area only 4 years later. The round karner (ossuary), seen here, has two storeys and was built in the 12th century.

A church may have been here already in 888, when the place was mentioned as "Veldchiricha" by Arnulf of Carinthia. Arnulf, after having overthrown his uncle Charles III (aka "Charles the Fat"), became the Carolingian king of East Francia, later King of Italy and for two years Holy Roman Emperor. It in known, that the "House of Eppenstein", had a proprietary church here around 1065. The erection of the church seen today started in 1166, after the place got integrated into the diocese of Bamberg. The Romanesque basilica and the tower got then altered in Gothic times, when an additonal nave was added - and the basilica got a new roof, now covering nave and side aisles. After the incursion of the Turkish troops in 1478, the church got fortified, what did not help much, when Hungaria troops ("Schwarze Armee") raided the area only 4 years later. Two Romanesque capitals are on the pillars, that flank the doors of the Baroque portal.

A church may have been here already in 888, when the place was mentioned as "Veldchiricha" by Arnulf of Carinthia. Arnulf, after having overthrown his uncle Charles III (aka "Charles the Fat"), became the Carolingian king of East Francia, later King of Italy and for two years Holy Roman Emperor. It in known, that the "House of Eppenstein", had a proprietary church here around 1065. The erection of the church seen today started in 1166, after the place got integrated into the diocese of Bamberg. The Romanesque basilica and the tower got then altered in Gothic times, when an additonal nave was added - and the basilica got a new roof, now covering nave and side aisles. After the incursion of the Turkish troops in 1478, the church got fortified, what did not help much, when Hungaria troops ("Schwarze Armee") raided the area only 4 years later. Two Romanesque capitals are on the pillars, that flank the doors of the Baroque portal. Here is one of the capitals (and a little spider).

A church may have been here already in 888, when the place was mentioned as "Veldchiricha" by Arnulf of Carinthia. Arnulf, after having overthrown his uncle Charles III (aka "Charles the Fat"), became the Carolingian king of East Francia, later King of Italy and for two years Holy Roman Emperor. It in known, that the "House of Eppenstein", had a proprietary church here around 1065. The erection of the church seen today started in 1166, after the place got integrated into the diocese of Bamberg. The Romanesque basilica and the tower got then altered in Gothic times, when an additonal nave was added - and the basilica got a new roof, now covering nave and side aisles. After the incursion of the Turkish troops in 1478, the church got fortified, what did not help much, when Hungaria troops ("Schwarze Armee") raided the area only 4 years later. The Romanesque basilica with the high nave and the two lower side aisles is "hidden" under the roof, but clearly visible inside the church The rib vaulting was completed around 1500.

A church may have been here already in 888, when the place was mentioned as "Veldchiricha" by Arnulf of Carinthia. Arnulf, after having overthrown his uncle Charles III (aka "Charles the Fat"), became the Carolingian king of East Francia and later King of Italy and for two years Holy Roman Emperor. It in known, that the "House of Eppenstein", had a proprietary church here around 1065. The erection of the church seen today started in 1166, after the place got integrated into the diocese of Bamberg. The Romanesque basilica and the tower got then altered in Gothic times, when an additonal nave was added - and the basilica got a new roof, now covering nave and side aisles. After the incursion of the Turkish troops in 1478, the church got fortified, what did not help much, when Hungaria troops ("Schwarze Armee") raided the area only 4 years later. At least two antique Roman spoliae got integrated into the walls of the basilica. One of them is this torso.

It in known, that the noble "House of Eppenstein", had a proprietary church here around 1065. The erection of the church seen today started in 1166. The Romanesque basilica and the tower got then altered in Gothic times, when an additonal nave was added - and the basilica got a new roof, now covering nave and side aisles. After the incursion of the Turkish troops in 1478, the church got fortified, what did not help much, when Hungaria troops ("Schwarze Armee") raided the area only 4 years later. During Gothic times, the walls were covered with frescoes. A few of them survived. Here are the Magi in their way to Bethlehem.

A church may have been here already in 888, when the place was mentioned as "Veldchiricha" by Arnulf of Carinthia. Arnulf, after having overthrown his uncle Charles III (aka "Charles the Fat"), became the Carolingian king of East Francia and later King of Italy and for two years Holy Roman Emperor. It in known, that the "House of Eppenstein", had a proprietary church here around 1065. The erection of the church seen today started in 1166, after the place got integrated into the diocese of Bamberg. The Romanesque basilica and the tower got then altered in Gothic times, when an additonal nave was added - and the basilica got a new roof, now covering nave and side aisles. After the incursion of the Turkish troops in 1478, the church got fortified, what did not help much, when Hungaria troops ("Schwarze Armee") raided the area only 4 years later. This tower was probably built during the fortification. This is not the round "Karner" seen on some previous uploads.

The parish church is mentioned first time in 1131, then belonging to the Diocese of Gurk, but in 1137 the place was "acquired" by the Diocese of Bamberg, like so many places and villages in Carinthia. The once Romanesque building burned down in 1829 and got rebuilt within the 19th century. The Romanesque portal, seen here, was "recreated" in 1891, though the semicircular center depicting the Lamb, flanked by Lion adn Eagle, is from the original tympanum from ~ 1210.