Saint Virgilius in Rattenberg, Parish church in Rattenberg, Austria

The parish church of St. Virgilius rises above the southern row of houses in Rattenberg, below the castle hill, reached by two covered stairways from the south and one from the east. The Gothic building has a northern main nave, a southern aisle, a main choir and a side choir; the south aisle wall and north sacristy are of unplastered Kramsach marble blocks laid after 1473. Inside, baroque stucco by Anton Gigl, Augustin Gigl and Engelmund Lambs (1733) covers the Gothic vaults.

A church was first documented in 1301; after a fire in 1443, it was largely rebuilt from 1473 to 1506 under Christian Nickinger and Jörg Steyrer, with the sacristy added by Steyrer from 1507 to 1512. Around 1730 the interior was baroquised, and in 1786 the church was raised to parish status.

The church is dedicated to Saint Virgil, patron of the parish and of the Salzburg archdiocese to which Rattenberg belongs. Inside, the Annenaltar in the southern choir is the work of the Mondsee sculptor Meinrad Guggenbichler, and the vault frescoes are attributed to Simon Benedikt Faistenberger and Matthäus Günther. A bust of Saint Notburga stands in the Notburga chapel, added in the 1980s.

The church sits on a raised location with steps leading to the entrance, making it easy to spot when walking through the southern part of town. A visit fits naturally into a walk through Rattenberg's historic center, and you can pause inside to see the interior details at your own pace.

The vault frescoes are attributed to Simon Benedikt Faistenberger and Matthäus Günther, but the ceiling paintings in the two choirs are documented works by Faistenberger from 1729: the Transfiguration of Christ with the four Church Fathers in the main choir, and the Immaculata as Maria vom Siege in the side choir. The stucco of 1733 is by Anton Gigl, Augustin Gigl and Engelmund Lambs.