St. Leonhard branch church is one of the highest churches in Carinthia (1,330 meters)
The church is surrounded by an iron chain, like all Leonhard churches in the mountains. This chain is said to have been forged from the bridles of Turkish horses.
The St. Leonhard is the patron saint of prisoners and refugees, as well as the emergency helper for livestock diseases. Such Leonhard churches used to have the right to asylum. If a criminal or a military refugee was pursued and he managed to take refuge in such a church, he could not be arrested. Before 1848, when compulsory military service lasted 12 years - often 20 years, some recruits fled to the mountains, mostly to work as woodworkers, and then, when the authorities sought them, took refuge in the Leonhardkirchen.
The current church is not the original one, as it stood a few meters northeast of the current one. The old Leonhardkirche had become very damaged, so that in 1643 the walls had to be connected with iron bars. There was only one altarpiece in it, namely the main altar. However, the stipes of the two side altars were consecrated, which is why the visitor also ordered the purchase of statues of the patrons of these side altars in 1643. The old statues were in such bad condition that he recommended burning them.
The new - current church dates from 1696. An earthquake damaged its vault and the triumphal arch so much that they had to tie them together with iron bars. In the same year, the archdeacon and rector Franciscus Coballius ordered the transfer of the consecrated altar from the old church to the new one, and he also approved the continued holding of the church consecration festival. At the next visitation in 1699, Archdeacon Felix Coronini ordered the believers to collect food and money for the upcoming consecration of the new church.
People still say that a bishop so old came to the consecration of the church that they had to carry him up the mountain and that he blessed the holy well. This was Franz Kaspar von Station, Bishop of Lavant (1673-1704). The consecration took place in the week before Great Women's Day. The bishop was 67 years old at the time.
The new church building is built in the Baroque style and consists of the presbytery, to which a small sacristy is attached on the south side, the nave, which is covered with a flat, beautifully painted wooden ceiling, and the tower, which is on the west side.
This beautifully patronized ceiling bears the year 1670. The previous opinion that the church was built in this year does not correspond to the fact, because the ceiling was transferred here from the old, collapsed church, which is evident from the visitor's remark from 1696 : “superstes, asseribus tectum integrum tranferatur” emerges.
In the top of the baroque main altar is the statue of St. Leonhard, but it comes from more recent times. The original Gothic statue was found in the under-roof room by the pastor of Eisenkappel in 1933 and it will be returned to its altar. The side figures on this altar are the statues of St. Florian and George.
One side altar is dedicated to St. Saint Laurentius, on the other there is an interesting picture of St. Theodore Tiro, a Roman soldier, died in 304. In place of his sword he has a torch in his hand and a crown of thorns on his head.
Every year the “Kirchtag in St. Leonhard” takes place on the second Sunday in August.
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