Pfarrkirche hl. Pankraz, St. Pankraz, Upper Austria

The late-medieval parish church of St. Pankraz stands in the Upper Austrian village of the same name, a quiet settlement in the Kirchdorf district where the Pyhrn massif rises behind the houses. The present building replaced a 13th-century chapel and was first recorded in 1277, yet its present form dates from 1462 when it was consecrated. The work was made possible by Friedrich von Aufseß, a former Prince-Bishop of Bamberg who retired to nearby Spital am Pyhrn and endowed several churches in the region. Inside, the single-nave structure is covered by a net-ribbed vault over six bays, ending in a three-sided choir. On either side of the nave small chapels open, each vaulted in the same intricate pattern. The exterior is marked by an octagonal west tower topped with a pointed spire added in 1873. The entire building is protected as a listed monument. The interior fittings are richly Baroque. The high altar was designed by Franz Josef Holzinger, its statues carved by Franz Xaver Leithner of Lambach, and the altarpiece attributed to Martino Altomonte or a close follower. Side altars from 1756–57, also by Leithner, carry paintings by Bartolomeo Altomonte restored in 1957. The pulpit, dated 1754–55, and the carved Stations of the Cross frames are likewise by Leithner, while the painted panels follow the style of Wolfgang Andreas Heindl.