St. Wolfgang in Grades, Pilgrimage church in Metnitz, Austria

St. Wolfgang in Grades is a late Gothic church built of large ashlar blocks on a small hill west of Grades in Carinthia. Its slightly recessed choir and nave are braced by stepped buttresses, and a five-storey square west tower is set into a defensive wall six to nine metres high with keyhole embrasures. The walled courtyard measures about 60 by 30 metres.

Construction of the church began in summer 1453 under the order of Bishop Johannes V of Gurk and was completed in 1474. A fire soon damaged parts of the building, with repairs continuing until 1512.

The church is dedicated to Saint Wolfgang, a holy figure who legend says visited the area in 977. The name and veneration shape the religious life of the community to this day, drawing pilgrims who come to pray for blessings and healing.

The building sits on elevated ground and is set apart by the high protective wall, which means a short walk to the entrance is needed. The narrow windows and thick stone walls keep the interior cool but provide limited natural light inside.

The high altar is a winged altarpiece commissioned between 1519 and 1522 by Matthäus Lang von Wellenburg, Bishop of Gurk. Its central figure of St. Wolfgang resembles the donor and is flanked by Saints Lawrence and Stephen. The shrine figures, carved around 1490, are linked to the elder Villach workshop and echo the Pacher altar at St. Wolfgang in the Salzkammergut, though here Wolfgang holds the centre.