Loretokapelle Au, Längenfeld

The Loreto Chapel stands in the hamlet of Au, part of Längenfeld in the Ötztal valley of Tirol. Built in 1732, the small rectangular chapel has a rounded apse and a western circular window beneath a bulbous onion dome. Its early-baroque ceiling vault is divided by ribs and lunettes, while the interior walls carry late-baroque Stations of the Cross panels. A carved Annunciation group from the second quarter of the 18th century sits near the altar, which bears the 1731 donor’s shield and inscription of Andreas Sterzinger, caretaker at Landeck castle. The chapel’s single space is lit by the western window and the lantern above, focusing attention on the high altar and its image of Our Lady of Einsiedeln. A late-18th-century pulpit is mounted on the south wall, its modest form echoing the chapel’s restrained decoration. Above, the ceiling fresco painted in 1943 by Ludwig Sturm depicts a Marian scene framed by the chapel’s structural ribs. Visitors step from the lane into a quiet interior where the scent of aged wood and plaster lingers. The altar’s painted icon and the carved figures catch the light that filters through the small circular window. Late-baroque Stations of the Cross line the walls, guiding the gaze around the single room. The onion dome and western window give the modest building a gentle presence against the surrounding alpine landscape.