Mariensäule Oberwölz

The Oberwölz Mariensäule stands in the market square of the small town of Oberwölz in Styria. It is a Baroque sculpture group built between 1708 and 1714 after the Great Plague ended. Four stone pillars surround a raised platform, and on this stands a wooden column topped by a statue of the Virgin Mary. The base bears a painted inscription in German recalling the town’s deliverance from plague in 1715. The group is worth seeing for its historical meaning and craftsmanship. The wooden figures include Mary Immaculata at the top, flanked by the plague saints Sebastian and Roch on the rear pillars. All the statues are carved from wood, and the Madonna wears a copper roof shaped like a parasol to shield her from rain and snow. Visitors find the monument set in the quiet square at the heart of Oberwölz. The four pillars and the painted inscription on the pedestal tell the story of the town’s vow and relief. The wooden carvings show fine detail despite their age, and the copper canopy above the Virgin keeps the sculpture well preserved.