Filialkirche hl. Heinrich, Görtschach, Hermagor

The Filialkirche Görtschach stands in the village of Görtschach, part of Hermagor in Carinthia. This late-Gothic church, dedicated to Saint Henry, first appears in records from 1478. It belongs to the Catholic parish of Förolach and shows clear signs of later Baroque changes. The church’s exterior mixes sharp Gothic lines with smoother Baroque touches. A two-bay nave leads to a single-bay choir ending in three sides of an octagon, supported by four stepped buttresses. The north tower wears a pointed helm roof with water spouts at its corners. Inside, the flat-ceilinged nave holds a wooden Baroque gallery and ceiling paintings from the late 18th century showing the ascent of Saints Henry and Kunigunde into heaven, framed by scenes from the life of Mary. A 18th-century wall painting of the Crucifixion hangs on the south wall. The high altar, made around 1670, rises like a miniature triumphal arch with richly carved strapwork and figures of Saint Henry, Saint Eligius, Saint Martin, and the Archangel Michael. Two side altars from the late 17th century display reliefs of the Assumption of Mary and the martyrdom of Saint Bartholomew. The pulpit from the second half of the 18th century shows the Good Shepherd on its front panel. A low, pointed arch separates nave from choir, while the choir itself is covered by a barrel vault with lunettes.