Pfarrkirche St. Jakob in Defereggen

The Catholic parish church of St James the Elder stands beside the road in Unterrotte, a hamlet set apart from the village centre of St Jakob in Defereggen. It sits in the wide valley floor of the Defereggental, a high Alpine valley in East Tyrol. The church belongs to the Matrei deanery in the diocese of Innsbruck and has been protected as a listed building since the 19th century. The church began as a vicariate in 1548 and became a parish in 1891. The earlier church stood where the cemetery now lies, but between 1827 and 1830 a new building rose on its present site. Simon Moosbrugger drew the plans and a local master builder simplified the execution, leaving the planned twin towers unfinished at roof level. The church was consecrated in 1839 and still serves the community today. Inside, a single nave with three bays is covered by three shallow domes. The round-arched choir is set slightly lower and vaulted in the shape of a half-shell. Johann Baptist Oberkofler painted the ceiling in 1935 with scenes that glorify Christ as king. The large lunettes contain stained glass by the same artist, made in 1930 by the Tyrolean Glass Painting Institute. The exterior shows a plain classical façade with a triangular gable and a small bell tower added in 1928.