Wallfahrtskirche Maria Altötting, Winklern bei Oberwölz

Maria Altötting in Winklern stands on the Lindenbichl hill above the village of Winklern, near Oberwölz in the Murau district of Styria. The small chapel was built in the 17th century as a copy of the famous Gnadenkapelle in Altötting, Bavaria. Its circular nave and domed sanctuary follow the Bavarian model closely. The site overlooks the meeting of the Hinteregg valley with the Wölz valley, a quiet spot chosen for its view and solitude. The chapel owes its existence to Thomas Langanger, steward of a farm owned by Admont Abbey. In 1652 he travelled to Altötting, carrying a carved copy of the Madonna on his back to be blessed by contact with the original. After a solemn procession the image was installed in the new chapel, consecrated in 1654. The site soon became a busy pilgrimage church dedicated to the Visitation. Pope Clement XI granted a plenary indulgence for the feast day on 2 July 1708, swelling the crowds. Inside, the round church holds a rich 18th-century Baroque scheme. Josef Thaddäus Stammel carved the high altar in 1740, showing the crowned Madonna above a glory of angels and flanked by statues of Saints Barbara and Catherine. The side altars bear paintings of Saints Leonard and Benedict, probably brought from Admont Abbey. The walls are covered with grisaille scenes of the chapel’s founding, while the ceiling frescoes by Joseph Adam von Mölk depict the Assumption of Mary and the triumph of the Church. A slender tower with a Baroque helmet rises at the west end, and a small sacristy and oratory extend to the east.