Kapuzinerkirche

Kapuzinerkirche (Capuchin Church) is a Roman Catholic church in downtown Klagenfurt am Wörthersee that was established in the mid-17th century.

The church was dedicated to St. Mary and was built between 1646 and 1649 alongside the four-winged, modest monastery complex of the Capuchin order, which was located adjacent to the church at the time.The southern end, where the entrance to the north-facing structure is placed, now forms the northern end of Bahnhofstrasse, which was previously known as Breite Bach- or Kanalgasse due to the open Feuerbach flowing through it until the mid-nineteenth century.

The exterior of the Capuchin Church has remained mostly unchanged since its construction.In contrast, the monastery building was rebuilt east of the church in 1970 as a modern flat-roofed structure, and the old facility was dismantled in 1979.

The church’s southern portal, built in the early Baroque style, is shielded by a canopy supported by columns.Above the gateway, there are round arched windows on both sides, with a circular window situated slightly higher in the center.An octagonal turret with a small light and a curved pointed helmet stands atop the steep gable.

The nave features few windows and a barrel vault with lunettes, as does the newly closed chancel.Two chapels with almost square floor plans on the east side of the church are connected to the nave by pointed arched openings.The choir room of the monastery brothers located on the north side of the choir, with a former altarpiece by August Veiter.

The three unframed altars are composed of dark wood and gilded sparingly.The huge high altar altarpiece, constructed in the mid-18th century, depicts the Mother of God with St. Francis surrounded by angels.The two side altars occupy the narrow wall strips defined by the triumphal arch that spans the width of the retracting altar space.A cedarwood figure of Fatima, obtained in Portugal in 1951, is located on the left altar. Saint Joseph, the Child, and Mary are depicted in the top panel.August Veiter’s painting of St. Joseph with a child graces the right altar.A statue of the Sacred Heart by K. Campidell from 1965 can be found in the cafeteria, while another of Loretto Maria can be found in the southern chapel.