Großglobnitz Church

The parish church of Großglobnitz stands on a slight rise above the village green in the southern part of Großglobnitz, a village within the Zwettl municipality in Lower Austria. It is dedicated to Saint Pankratius and belongs to the Zwettl deanery of the Diocese of St Pölten. Both the church and its surrounding cemetery are listed monuments. The church began as a Romanesque choir-tower structure in the 13th century and was later enlarged in the Baroque style. A fortified church stood on the site as early as 1130, and Großglobnitz became a separate parish in 1350. The nave was extended westwards in 1711 and fitted with a music gallery. Inside, the original flat ceiling gave way to a ribbed vault in the 15th century, while the western extension received a barrel vault with lunettes. The high altar, dating from 1760, is a fine example of Rococo craftsmanship and features figures of Saints Francis Xavier and John the Baptist. Outside, the massive Romanesque tower rises above the cemetery, its twin-arch windows uncovered during restoration in 1977. A Baroque wrought-iron cross from 1766 and two Classical gravestones from the late 19th century stand nearby. The churchyard also contains a 14th-century ossuary with a star-ribbed vault and a late 18th-century rectory built in the Plattenstil. The whole ensemble offers a quiet place to walk among historic buildings and gravestones.