Description of the attraction
To the west of Linz Castle, you can see a simple building of the Roman Catholic Church of St. Martin, which, according to some sources, is the oldest sacred building not only in the city, but throughout Austria. It was first mentioned in ancient documents from 799. During its construction, stones were used from which Roman buildings were previously built. The builders were able to find use even for 10 Roman tombstones.
Recent archaeological research at the church has shown that the claim that the Church of St. Martin in Linz is one of the oldest religious buildings in Europe is controversial. The original first floor of the church probably appeared in the 10th-11th centuries as a result of the reconstruction of an earlier building. The reconstruction of the temple took place under the Carolingians. Archaeologists managed to discover Roman gravestones of the 3rd century and a furnace that has not suffered at all over the past 10 centuries. All found artifacts are kept in the church of St. Martin.
In the Middle Ages, Gothic windows and portals were created in the church of St. Martin, and a presbytery was built. On the north side of the church, there are 15th century frescoes depicting the Virgin Mary. At the same time, an artistic canvas was also dated, which is a copy of the "Not Made by Hands" image of Christ, the original of which is located in the Italian city of Lucca. The Gothic wooden sculptures kept in the church are also of great interest.
You can see the interior of the Church of St. Martin only with a guide. Church tours are held twice a week - on Wednesdays and Sundays mornings. At other times, travelers are content with viewing the temple through glass doors.
