As part of our Austrian adventure in the valley of the Alps, we walked to a few churches and this included the rather lovely Pilgrimage Church of St. Maria am Bichele. The name ‘Bichele’ (or little hill) suits it rather well, a modest whitewashed chapel in a clearing which feels more like a woodland sanctuary than a grand shrine and it’s protected today as a historic monument.
The walk up the hill which has wayside shrines whose reliefs narrate the fourteen Stations of the Cross.
Here comes Richard jogging up the hill.
The story of this goes that in 1610 a beggar named Michel is said to have seen an angel who told him to seek the Mother of God near St. Leonhard and after much searching he found a small statue of Mary on a tree stump. A chapel promptly went up at the spot and drew steady devotion. The present church dates to 1828, built by the curate Josef Neururer, partly because the parish feared the main church might be unsafe on shifting ground and wanted a worthy substitute for worship and pilgrimage.
The grotto, which has inspired Richard.
The interior of the church.
The chancel.
The statue of the Virgin Mary on the altar.
Looking back along the nave with the organ on the upper tier.
An interesting votive painting which I think is expressing delight at some miracle taking place, perhaps relating to this location.