Pfarrkirche hl. Nikolaus, Sirnitz

The parish church of Sirnitz stands in the small village of Sirnitz in the municipality of Albeck, Carinthia. A chapel was first recorded here in 1179. The site includes the church, its graveyard, a charnel house and a war memorial, all protected as a listed ensemble. The church is set against the backdrop of rolling hills, with the charnel house standing a short distance to the north-east. The church is a fine example of early Gothic architecture from around 1300, later remodelled in the Baroque style during the mid-18th century. Its sturdy buttresses support the nave and choir, while the original north tower survives only up to the height of the nave. A Baroque west tower, added in 1747, rises above the main entrance and is crowned by a 19th-century onion dome. Inside, the six-bay nave is covered by a ribbed vault resting on massive round piers, and the west gallery is also vaulted. Traces of 14th-century wall paintings survive, including a depiction of Christ in Majesty and scenes from the life of the Virgin. The high altar, dating from 1690, is a richly decorated three-tiered structure with twisted columns and acanthus carvings. Side altars feature 17th- and 18th-century sculpture and painted panels. A late Gothic baptismal font stands near the south door, and a 14th-century holy-water font is set into the wall. The octagonal charnel house, built in the late 15th century, contains a ground-floor ossuary and an upper chapel with a star-shaped vault. Fragments of late medieval frescoes appear on its walls, including a damaged Resurrection scene above the door.