Pfarrkirche Heiliger Michael, Fürnitz

The Catholic parish church of St Michael stands in Fürnitz, a village beside the Faaker See in Carinthia. Its oldest part is a Romanesque tower from the early 13th century, while the choir dates from the 14th century. The tower was raised again in the Baroque period, giving it the tall, pointed helmet it wears today.

The church is worth visiting for its clear layers of history. The 1296 records show it was already a parish when the nave still had plain walls and a flat wooden ceiling. Inside, the high altar of the mid-18th century carries a statue of the archangel Michael, flanked by figures of saints Wolfgang, Nepomuk, Francis Xavier and Ulrich.

Visitors find a single rectangular nave leading to a slightly off-centre choir with ribbed vaulting. The high altar dominates the space, its six columns framing Michael’s figure. To the north hangs a painting of the Virgin with goitre and protruding eyes, while the southern altar shows Saint Barbara and a heart-shaped image of Saint Florian. A carved pine cone tops the baptismal font, and a painted Madonna hangs above the congregation.