Antoniuskirche, Catholic pilgrimage church in Rietz, Austria
The Antoniuskirche is a baroque pilgrimage church located on a hilltop in Rietz. The structure features a slender tower set into the northern wall with paired round-arched windows and an onion dome topped by a small lantern.
A small chapel was first built here in 1666 by Peter Grasmayr at this location. The current baroque building rose in 1757 following designs by Johann Michael Umhauser.
The church is named after Saint Anthony, whose life story unfolds across the ceiling paintings completed in 1757 that visitors see immediately upon entering. The ornate Rococo stucco work throughout the interior creates a richly decorated space that draws the eye in many directions.
The site sits along a network of hiking trails, with the Antonius Steig being the main path leading up from the parish church of Rietz below. Wear sturdy shoes for the climb, as the hillside terrain can be steep and uneven in places.
The organ inside combines components from different construction periods, with parts of an original 1739 instrument by Andreas Jäger still preserved within it. Franz Weber reassembled these historic sections in 1871, creating a one-of-a-kind blend of different eras.
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