In the nave of the parish church of St Margaret, ceiling paintings depict the apostles; cartouches below illustrate the martyrdom of each. Together with the Moserhof, located in the village centre, these buildings offer two different ways to explore the cultural history of Sankt Margarethen Im Lavanttal: figurative painting in a church interior and an ensemble of residential and agricultural buildings. The specific details of the paintings and buildings provide a tangible thematic focus for planning your trip.
Ceiling paintings in the parish church
The paintings were created in 1753 by Johann Sattler. The composition links the apostles with the martyrdom scenes depicted directly beneath them in cartouches. This establishes not only the artist and year of creation; it also makes it possible to trace how the motifs relate to one another. If you are interested in sacred art, you can look at this work on two levels: the apostles in the nave and the scenes associated with them below. The pictorial programme brings these motifs together rather than presenting them side by side as individual depictions. This makes it possible to understand the work both in terms of when it was created and its specific composition.
The Moserhof in the village centre
The Moserhof offers a different architectural focus. The year 1776 appears above the entrance to the residential building facing the street; agricultural buildings adjoin it on three sides. Their decorative barn windows add another architectural detail to the ensemble. The farmstead is in the village centre of Sankt Margarethen Im Lavanttal. When viewing it, the year is therefore not the only point of interest: consider how the residential building and agricultural buildings are arranged as an ensemble. Unlike the parish church, the focus here is not on pictorial motifs, but on the layout of a farmstead and the design of its windows. Those interested in architectural forms will find a different perspective here from that offered by the ceiling paintings.
Mill and KunstmĂĽhle/Art Mill Studio
The mill at Schloss Schmelzhofen offers another connection to art. It was built in 1856; a description from 2020 calls it the studio of Pepo Pichler. Pepo Pichler and Anita Naz founded the Kunstmühle/Art Mill Studio in the castle. The year of construction, the studio description and the studio’s founding represent different aspects: the year marks the construction of the mill, while the other two details identify the artistic connection to Pepo Pichler and the founding of the studio in the castle. This named building thus brings together architectural history and artistic connections.
Getting to the OptimaMed Gesundheitsresort Weissenbach
You can reach the OptimaMed Gesundheitsresort Weissenbach by car via the A2 SĂĽdautobahn towards Klagenfurt, taking the Wolfsberg exit. From there, the route continues for approximately 6 km along the Weissenbacher LandesstraĂźe; this distance refers to the road section after the exit. By public transport, take the SĂĽdbahn railway line to Wolfsberg main station/bus station, then continue by bus to Weissenbach. Check train and bus connections before your trip. The main differences between the routes are the modes of transport and the order of connections: by car via the A2 and the state road, or by train to Wolfsberg followed by a bus journey.
Discover more destinations: Weinebene, Reichenfels, Magdalensberg, Kliening, Kamp, Klippitztörl, Sankt Martin, Lamprechtsberg
View the broader travel guide: Wolfsberg.
