Filialkirche Sankt Jakob in der Breitenau

The Filialkirche Sankt Jakob in der Breitenau is a small Gothic church with Baroque additions, standing in the village of Sankt Jakob in the Breitenau valley. It belongs to the parish of Sankt Erhard and lies beneath the Hochlantsch massif in the Austrian province of Styria. The building and its former graveyard are protected as historic monuments. The church’s origins go back to a Gothic choir built around 1400, later enlarged in the late 17th century when the nave was remodelled and a sacristy with an oratory added. In 1713 the tower was erected by the master builder Blasius Rues, and the nave vault was simply stuccoed in the early 18th century. Inside, medieval frescoes were uncovered in 1959 on the north wall of the choir, including a late-15th-century Last Judgement and a late-14th-century Veil of Veronica. Six fine stained-glass panels in the south window date from about 1420. The interior shows a blend of Gothic structure and Baroque decoration. The high altar of 1769, designed by Veit Königer, features figures by Matthäus Krenauer and a painting of Saint James. Side altars, the pulpit from 1680, and several Baroque statues add to the furnishings. A single bell cast in the 15th century still hangs in the tower, while the organ dates from 1912.