Wallfahrtskirche Maria Laach, Gothic pilgrimage church in Maria Laach am Jauerling, Austria.
Wallfahrtskirche Maria Laach is a late Gothic pseudo-basilica with a three-aisled nave, a choir from around 1400, and a west tower added in 1512. The nave is covered by a net-rib vault with a central ring and a Holy Spirit hole, and the church is surrounded by a cemetery.
A chapel was first documented in 1263; the parish church was built in stages, with the choir around 1400, the nave vaulted by 1496 and the west tower added in 1512. Between 1562 and 1627 the Protestant Kuefstein family held the patronage and used the church as their burial place. After a reported healing of a blind child in 1719, pilgrimage to Maria Laach grew, and it has been a pilgrimage church since the early 18th century.
The church's name comes from the German word 'Laach,' which refers to a tanning pit where hides were once treated, reminding visitors of the area's craft heritage. Today, the space draws pilgrims who come to view its religious art and reflect on its connection to the surrounding landscape.
The church is accessible by local roads that lead through surrounding villages and by walking paths that climb toward Jauerling mountain. A visit works best during regular hours when the interior can be viewed, and the surrounding hillside is easy to explore on foot.
The church is popularly called "Our Dear Lady of Six Fingers" because the Marian image on the left side altar shows a hand with six fingers. The late Gothic double-winged altarpiece of 1480, attributed to the Passau Danube school and possibly to Stephan Kriechbaum, is one of the few fully preserved painted and carved works of its period in Austria.
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