parish church Sommerein

The Catholic parish church of Mariae Heimsuchung stands in the centre of Sommerein, a market town in the Bruck an der Leitha district of Lower Austria. It is a free-standing building on the church square, surrounded by a wall and the parish house. The church has been under official protection since the 20th century. The church dates back to the 14th or 15th century as a branch of Mannersdorf’s parish. A new church was built in 1659 after a fire, then raised in 1736. The tower was added in the 19th century, and restorations in the 1990s uncovered remains of the medieval predecessor. The church’s architecture reflects these changes, from the steep early-baroque nave to the polygonal choir and tall tower. Inside, the nave has a barrel vault resting on pilasters, with a narrower gallery above. The high altar shows a painting of the Visitation by an artist close to Johann Michael Rottmayr. The organ, built in 1775, sits on a wooden gallery. The churchyard contains old gravestones, including one dated 1613 under the gallery. The ruined chapel beside the choir adds a quiet reminder of the site’s past.