Pfarrkirche Heiliger Bartholomäus, Kleblach-Lind

The parish church of Lind im Drautal stands in the Drava Valley village of Kleblach-Lind, Kärnten. It is dedicated to Saint Bartholomew and was founded around 1139, first mentioned as a parish in 1242. A Gothic structure with late Baroque changes, the church mixes different periods: the three-bay nave has two late-Gothic bays and one Baroque west bay added in 1788, while the single-bay choir with a three-sided end dates from the 14th century. The north-side tower, originally Gothic, was given a Baroque onion dome and still shows a late-medieval Romanesque-style triforium sound window on its east face. Inside, the church holds notable furnishings from several centuries. The high altar from about 1740 shelters a late-15th-century carved Schutzmantelmadonna and a statue of Saint Bartholomew, flanked by figures of Saints Joseph and Barbara. The left side altar, in Rococo style, carries a Madonna and an image of Anthony of Padua. On the right, a 18th-century Crucifixion group by Johann Paterer includes figures of Mary, John, Mary Magdalene and an angel. The nave floor bears a 1349 red-sandstone tomb slab of Perchtold von Lind carved with a standing knight. A newly built organ by Tomaž Možnik was installed in 2019 and blessed by Bishop Werner Freistetter. Visitors enter through one of three late-Gothic round-arched portals in the west façade, which is classical in two storeys and framed by four giant Ionic pilasters. Inside, the nave is covered by a net-ribbed vault with heraldic keystones, while the west bay has a barrel vault with lunettes. A pointed, chamfered chancel arch leads to the choir, where a rib-vault rises from corbels. The north side of the choir holds a pointed, chamfered sacristy door, and the south side features a renewed basket-arched portal with small oratory windows above. The tower’s west wall carries a 1985–86 fresco attributed to Wenzl Aicher, depicting Law and Grace.