Pfarrkirche Ainet

The parish church of Ainet stands at the upper edge of the village in the municipality of Ainet, Lienz district, East Tirol. A Roman Catholic church, it belongs to the deanery of Lienz in the diocese of Innsbruck and is listed as a protected monument. In 1771 a curacy was founded and in 1891 the church, dedicated to Saints Ulrich and Mark, became a parish church. The present building was erected in 1778–79 by master builder Thomas Mayr and consecrated in 1810. The simple Baroque structure has a tall north tower in Gothicising forms and sits within a walled cemetery. The steep roof is clad in wooden shingles, the nave has four bays and the square chancel is set apart with chamfered corners. Inside, a barrel vault with lunettes divides the bays, separated by pilasters with corbelled capitals; the two-bay chancel is raised by two steps and framed by a round arch. The ceiling paintings were created around 1830 by Christoph Brandstätter the Elder and later refreshed in 1901 by Johann Matthias Peskoller. They depict Saint Ulrich at the Lechfeld battle and the Assumption of Mary in the nave, and the Adoration of the Lamb in the chancel. The high altar in Neo-Renaissance style was built in 1885–86 by Johann Barth, its altarpiece showing the patron saints with Mary painted by Johann Hintner in 1886. The organ case dates from 1906 and was made by Alois Fuetsch.