Description of the attraction
The Parish Church of Zell is located in the center of this popular Tyrolean health resort. It is consecrated in honor of Saints Peter and Paul.
According to legend, the place for the construction of the church was determined in an unusual way - suddenly the wood sawdust began to bleed, which was accepted by the locals as a sign from above. The first religious building on this site dates back to 1050 - it was a tiny Romanesque building, which was later transformed into a larger church, already made in the late Gothic style. It was consecrated in 1361, but after 400 years it fell into disrepair. Moreover, the flow of parishioners was increasing, and such a modest temple could not accommodate all the believers.
Therefore, in 1764-1771, construction work was carried out to build a new temple, larger in size. In its appearance, a mixture of styles is noticeable - the dominant style of the Baroque era dominates at that time, but it was also decided to preserve some elements of the late Gothic building. It is believed that before the redesign, the church of Saints Peter and Paul in Zell looked about the same as the church of St. Leonard in Kundla, which is considered a masterpiece of Gothic art. But now, of the distinctive features of that style, only narrow windows and low vaulted ceilings at the entrance to the church have survived. The low bell tower is crowned with an onion-shaped dome, which is widespread among the Baroque churches in Austria and southern Germany.
The interior design of the temple is amazing - the walls and ceilings were painted in 1768 by the Tyrolean master Christoph Anton Mayr. Luxurious frescoes are executed in the Rococo era and depict various biblical scenes. But the organ and bells of the church were made much later - in the middle and at the end of the 20th century.
The church is surrounded by the city cemetery, on the territory of which you can find several interesting old tombstones. Also, at some distance from the temple itself, there is a small memorial chapel, where a memorial was erected to the memory of the victims of world wars.
The Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Zell is considered one of the most beautiful religious buildings in the Alps.
