Pfarrkirche Kötschach, Parish church in Kötschach-Mauthen, Austria.
Pfarrkirche Kötschach is a late Gothic church built from 1518 to 1527 by Bartlmä Firtaler, incorporating masonry from a 15th-century predecessor. It has a single nave with a lower choir ending in a five-eighth apse and a square west tower with an eight-sided spire. Red Laas sandstone forms the buttresses, cornices and window frames.
The current building was constructed between 1518 and 1527 under the direction of master builder Bartlmä Firtaler, following earlier records of the site. This represents a continuous building tradition at the location that extends back to the 1400s.
The church is dedicated to Our Lady and is nicknamed the "Gailtaler Dom" (Gailtal Cathedral). From 1712 to 1981 the Servites from Maria Luggau cared for the parish. The high altar of 1833 by Franz Stauder incorporates a Black Madonna statue, and the rosary altar shows the 15 mysteries of the rosary.
The church is generally accessible during daylight hours, allowing visitors to explore the interior at their own pace. For specific information about services or events, it is helpful to contact the parish office or seek local guidance.
The church is nicknamed the "Gailtaler Dom" (Gailtal Cathedral) because of its size for a valley parish. In a niche at the southwest corner of the tower, a grenade shell casing recalls the fighting in the Carnic Alps during the First World War; the tower's ground floor holds a war memorial.
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