Trinity church, Bludenz

The Dreifaltigkeitskirche stands in the quiet Kirchgasse in Bludenz, a town in Vorarlberg. It began as the chapel for a hospital built around 1300 and was consecrated in 1472 by Bishop Burkhard Dubenfluck. The building survived several fires and was rebuilt between 1682 and 1686 by Josef Gort. Inside, works by the Baroque sculptor Melchior Lechleitner from Grins draw the eye. A votive painting above the door shows Bludenz burning in 1638. The church has long served the town in different ways. It was once the hospital church and later the meeting place for the Elogi-Brotherhood, which still gathers each 2 July. Pope Clement XI granted it an indulgence in 1619, and the city council used it for prayer before council meetings. After wartime use as a storehouse, it was restored and reopened in 1960. Visitors step into a single-aisled nave with a raised choir at the east end. The west front faces the street with a pointed arch portal. Above the door stands a statue of Mary by Lechleitner from 1685. The high altar is by Johann Purtscher, while further figures and choir stalls are by Lechleitner. The interior, last renewed in 2008–09, remains largely as it was in the late 17th century.