Stadthauptpfarrkirche hl. Egid, Klagenfurt, Parish church in Klagenfurt, Austria.
St. Egid Main Parish Church stands in central Klagenfurt with a prominent tower around 92 meters tall, the second highest church tower in Carinthia. The building combines architecture from different periods and shapes the city's skyline.
A church on this site was first documented in 1255 as a vicariate of Maria Saal and gained parish rights in 1303; "sand Gilgen" appears in records from 1347. Earthquakes in 1571, 1680 and 1688 damaged the building, so the Romanesque church was demolished in 1690. The cornerstone of the new tower was laid in 1692, the church was consecrated on 8 September 1697, and the tower was completed in 1709.
The parish takes its name from St. Giles, called "sand Gilgen" in a 1347 document. The high altar in use since 1780 replaced two earlier versions, and the baroque pulpit carved around 1740 by Benedikt Bläß treats the theme of penance. Ceiling frescoes by Fromiller and Mölckh were added in 1760/61.
The 50-metre Türmergalerie viewing platform can be climbed only on guided tours, not daily. The church itself is an active parish church; visitors should check tour times before planning to reach the platform.
The tower's 91.7-metre height makes it Carinthia's second-tallest church tower, after the Stadtpfarrturm in Villach, and it counts as one of Klagenfurt's two landmarks. Its baroque onion dome was added after fire damaged the tower in 1723; the tower itself was finished in 1709.
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