Description of the attraction
The Church of Saints Leonard and Lambert is located in the very center of the small town of Gerlos, on its main street (Hauptstrasse). This baroque religious building was erected on the foundations of a Gothic building, while the bell tower of the church has been preserved from that time.
It is believed that the first building on this site appeared in the 15th century, and already in 1500 a bell tower in the late Gothic style was built. However, in 1735 the old building fell into disrepair, and it was decided to rebuild the church completely. Only the bell tower remained intact, which, however, was additionally built on and crowned with an onion-shaped dome, which is very common in Austria and southern Germany.
Now the church is a low building, painted white and distinguished by small lanceolate windows. One of the walls depicts the patron saint of the church - St. Leonard, as well as a view of the city of Gerlos itself from the 18th century. In the XX century, the temple was renovated, the side chapels and sacristy were also rebuilt. Moreover, in 1990, serious archaeological work was carried out, during which traces of earlier buildings were discovered.
As for the interior decoration of the church, it is made in approximately the same baroque style, but some elements were added much later - in the 20th century. For example, the painting of the walls was carried out as early as 1747, and the side altars were completed ten years earlier. However, the main altar was supplemented with the image of the Holy Trinity at the end of the 19th century, and an elegant sculpture of the Virgin Mary - already in 1911. Also, the church has preserved a skillfully decorated baroque pulpit, several canvases, including modern ones, and sculptures created in the 18th-20th centuries. The Baroque organ was re-created in the 1990s.
The church of Saints Leonard and Lambert is surrounded by the old city cemetery. Now it is a historical monument and is under state protection.
