Saint John the Evangelist Chapel (Pürgg)

About

The Chapel of Saint John (Johanneskapelle) is a renowned Romanesque chapel located in the village of Pürgg, part of the municipality of Stainach-Pürgg in Styria, Austria. It is famous for possessing some of the most well-preserved 12th-century frescoes in Europe. Believed to have been founded as a chapel for the local castle of the Marquesses of Styria in the 12th century, it was later abandoned when the family line died out in 1192. It is a small Romanesque building. In the Baroque era, a small roof turret and three crosses were added to the south wall, as it served as a station on a Way of the Cross (Calvary).

Frescos: Apart from the frescoes, which cover almost the entire interior of the church, the only remaining interior furnishings are a simple altar mensa with a Romanesque crucifix from the parish church of Pürgg. The frescoes date from the third quarter of the 12th century. They are believed to have been commissioned by Margrave Ottokar III of Traungau (1125–1164), who is also thought to be one of the two donor figures depicted to the left and right of the chancel opening. The artists are attributed to the Salzburg school of art, and the paintings reveal their familiarity...