Filialkirche hl. Margareta, Tiffen (Steindorf am Ossiacher See)

The small Romanesque church of St Margarethen stands in Tiffen, a hamlet beside the Ossiacher See in Carinthia. First recorded in 1499, it serves as a branch church of the Tiffen parish dedicated to Saint Margaret. A low round apse marks the east end, while a tiny sacristy is attached on the north side. The building’s charm lies in its plain Romanesque lines and the fragments of medieval frescoes uncovered on the south wall. These show Saint Margaret with her dragon and Saint Catherine with her wheel, along with a faded artist’s signature. Inside, the nave is roofed with painted wooden panels and supported by two wooden columns beneath the west gallery. The 1757 high altar in Baroque style houses a statue of the saint and a painted Trinity above, flanked by carved figures of Catherine and Barbara. Outside, an ancient linden tree enjoys legal protection as a natural monument. The churchyard is quiet, with only the linden’s broad crown and the stone roof slabs of the nave breaking the stillness. The interior air is cool and faintly scented with old wood and limewash, while shafts of light fall through the round-arched west door.