Parish Church of St. Leonhard

The parish church of St. Leonhard in Villach’s district of the same name was first documented in 1399.On March 22, 1945, a bomb assault largely damaged the late Gothic edifice.The church, which had been restored according to Walter Mayr’s ideas, was consecrated in 1947.St. Leonhard was a branch of St. Nikolai until 1954, when it became a parish.

The church features a round-arched doorway and a tower-like gable façade.The Gothic chancel faces south and is supported by modest stepped buttresses.To the north of the chancel is a sacristy extension.The chancel wall contains a Roman burial sculpture piece portraying a griffin.The southern exterior wall is adorned with a massive baroque crucifix.A wooden ceiling spans the hall-like nave on the inside.The ceiling of the three-bay chancel is supported by displayed wall services.Martin Häuslepainted the altar wall painting depicting a mercy seat in 1947.A door from the end wall leads to the one-bay Gothic choir, which has a five-eighth note.

A painting in the choir from circa 1350 depicts Saint George, the Virgin, and three saints defeating the dragon.Around 1420, pictures from the lives of Saints Catherine, Leonhard, and Dorothea, as well as the Last Judgment, were painted in the harsh Friulian style on the west wall.The vault contains the Majestas Domini with Evangelist emblems.A holy Aegidius was discovered on the southern triumphal arch unveil in 1992.

The old main altar was built in the younger Villach workshop between 1515 and 1520 and is currently housed in the Gothic choir.He conceals Saint Leonhard’s statue in the shrine.The painted wings feature Saints Rupert and Nicholas.Gernot Kulterer designed the new main altar.The northern side altar has a baroque figure of St. Leonhard, while the southern one, dating from 1673, has a baroque Madonna with Child and a late Gothic archangel Michael at the top.The pulpit was built in the latter quarter of the 17th century.On the pulpit, there are reliefs of the Good Shepherd and Saint Leonhard from the twentieth century.Kurt Weiß designed the Francis cycle, while Mea von Bratusch designed the Antonius relief.The organ, which has 14 registers, was built by the Salzburg-based manufacturer Dreher.