Lorettokapelle

The Lorettokapelle stands at the crossroads of Hofsteigstraße and Kapellenstraße in Lustenau, a small town in Vorarlberg. Built in 1645 by Hofammann Hans Hagen, it replaced an earlier field chapel and became the oldest surviving church in Lustenau. The chapel is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and has always belonged to the parish of Rheindorf. It was originally surrounded by farmland but now sits in a residential area after the village expanded in the early 20th century. The chapel’s history reflects both religious devotion and social ambition. Hans Hagen lost two sons and his first wife to plague outbreaks in 1628–29 and 1635, which inspired his vow to build the chapel. His family, at the height of their political influence, used the project to raise their standing. A 1660 family portrait dressed them in clothes similar to those of the local nobility. Later, the Hollenstein family funded a Baroque renovation around 1760, adding altars and a family votive painting. Inside, the chapel has a wooden coffered ceiling and a small organ loft above the entrance. The high altar holds a late-15th-century wooden Madonna surrounded by gilded rays and cherubs. The left altar features a figure of Saint Sebastian, while the right altar shows Saint Joseph. A wrought-iron screen from 1672 separates the nave from the chancel. Outside, a small square with a fountain and wayside shrine marks the entrance.