Stiftskirche St. Lambrecht

The Stiftskirche St. Lambrecht stands in the market town of Sankt Lambrecht in the Murau district of Styria. It is part of the Benedictine monastery complex and is dedicated to Saint Lambert. The church has been under Denkmalschutz since the 19th century. The church’s history stretches back to a Romanesque building from the 12th century, enlarged under Abbot Udalrich. After fires and collapses, it was rebuilt in Gothic style by the 15th century. Later, in the 17th century, it was transformed into a Baroque interior. The church survived further damage and was restored in the late 20th century, revealing medieval frescoes. Inside, visitors find a vast Gothic hall church with twelve bays and a seven-twelfths apse. The high altar, a Baroque masterpiece of stucco marble, shows scenes of the Assumption and Coronation of Mary. Side altars, including the Benedictus altar and the Emmeram altar, stand in the aisles. Frescoes from the 14th and 16th centuries adorn the walls, and the west gallery features paintings by Melchior Mayr. The church’s organ, built in 2003, has forty registers and a rare 32-foot pedal stop.