Pfarrkirche hl. Georg, Friedlach

The parish church of Friedlach stands on a hill above the village of the same name in Carinthia. It is dedicated to Saint George and shares the hilltop with the old rectory. The church is known for a local legend about a white snake. First mentioned as a parish in 1169, the church was recorded between 1214 and 1218. In 1273 the highest provincial court met here under the leadership of the Carinthian duke. A 1380 deed by Wilhelm von Glanegg called it the burial church of his ancestors. The building combines Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque styles, with a ring wall and a tower topped by a Baroque onion dome. Inside, the church is a Gothic hall with a Baroque ribbed vault. The west gallery has a barrel vault and Gothic wall shields. Three altars from about 1720 show the high altar’s image of Saint George and the Trinity. The pulpit, attributed to Johann Pacher, depicts the four Evangelists in high relief. A 17th-century painting of the Ascension of Saint Kunera hangs near the sacristy door.