Bürgerspitalskirche

The former – but still known as – Bürgerspitalskirche and today’s Benefiziatskirche St. Sebastian in Klagenfurt am Wörthersee is a small baroque church built in 1663/64 in the city center not far from Klagenfurt Cathedral.

The church is the third hospital church in the city.The first hospital, with an associated church, was documented in 1381 on Heiligengeistplatz, to the west of today’s country house.After the first hospital was destroyed by fire in 1535, the second hospital was constructed in front of the Protestant town church, today’s cathedral, which was completed in 1581 on the site of today’s cathedral square.When the Jesuit order transferred both the church and the hospital building in 1604, another new edifice was required.By 1616, this was built in Lidmanskygasse, and a tiny chapel was added.Almost 50 years later, in 1663, the foundation stone for the third church building, which still stands today, was placed.It was devoted to Saint Sebastian the next year.

The second quarter of the 18th century produced a substantial portion of today’s interior decoration, which includes some works by Josef Ferdinand Fromiller.

The church was utilized as a grain store during the French occupation in the beginning of the nineteenth century.During the ensuing renovation, all sculptures were painted white, and the altar structures were covered in oil paint.In 1967, the inside was extensively refurbished.The front was refurbished in 2007 and 2008, with a wooden gateway removed and a glass roof installed over the entrance.

A cemetery was also part of the hospital complex until 1862, when it was replaced by the city botanical garden.This property was built on after it was relocated to a more spacious site on Kreuzbergl in 1958.

The church is adjacent to the previous hospital’s modest seven-axis building on the east side.Externally, it is distinguished by pilasters that rise from the ground, cornices, two arched windows, and a small turret with an onion dome.Christoph Puerkher designed the hall, which features a semicircular chancel on the east side and a gateway on the north side of the nave.The pilasters that support a lunette barreldivided divide the interior into four bays.A two-story brick singers’ gallery supported by a central pillar may be found in the western bay.Several oratorio windows with wooden latticework on the south side allow hospital patients to participate in services, including two sacristy chambers on the first floor.

Christian Prießniger designed the majestic six-column high altar on the built-in sacrificial doors in 1741.The huge altarpiece with St. Sebastian (Fromiller, dated 1738) is lavishly adorned with gilded foliage band decorations.Above the altar is a carved group of the Virgin Mary’s Coronation with clouds and putti, with carved statues of Saints Januarius, Rochus, Sebastian, and Judas Thaddeus on the sides.Other statues of Saints Barbara and Gertrude of Nivelles are supported by volutes.

The gilded tabernacle is an exquisite spherical temple with a small group of sculptures depicting Christ on the cross with Mary and Joseph.

The left wall altar structure, dated 1739, is supported by two columns and two decorated pilasters.The primary painting by Fromiller depicts St. Elizabeth, with statues of Saints Barbara and Catherine on the sides and a statue of the Savior in the center, flanked by a putto on each side.The right altar, built around 1725, has a simpler design, with a picture framed by two columns, most likely also from Fromiller, depicting “The Rest on the Flight of the Holy Family,” and another picture depicting St. Francis Xavier above.

The high pulpit (about 1735) can only be reached from the outside.Four evangelist pictures are connected to the basket, and the sound cover is ornamented with putti and an angel blowing a trumpet.

Martin Pucher created the church bell in 1794.