Pfarrkirche Mariä Himmelfahrt: Zell an der Pram (AUSTRIA)

This church in the small town of Zell aan der Pram is a place that I visited recently during a course in 2020. I was staying nearby and had a chance to listen to a concert in this charming little Catholic (?) church. The acoustics of the church were really nice and pleasant from the audience point of view. The high ceilings and stone walls giving a pleasant wetness to the sound.

From the outside, it has the distinctive painted walls that appear to be characteristic of the buildings and houses in this town. Although it doesn't appear to look that old, the building seems to date from around 1770 (around the time that my violin was built, by happy coincidence!). However, it wasn't the first version of the church... there was documentation noting that there was a church on the grounds since the 900's. Just not this particular one!

The interior is the ornate style that is quite emblematic of Catholic churches. It is a style that I find to be a bit overbearing, but then I find the stark designs of the Lutheran churches to be a bit too bare! Some happy medium would be nice!

Like all buildings of this older style, I always enjoy looking up to the ceiling to see what is adorning the heavens. Often, there is something of note there... the modern style of nothing but electrical lighting and air-conditioning grills wasn't a design style yet! For his church, the paintings and decorations that were up on the ceiling were a little bit faded and in need of restoration to my untrained eye.

Meanwhile, coming back closer to ground... the altar area was flanked by the Crucifixion depictions framed by marble and fold. The dark colours of the framing and the picture makes a nice contrast against the white walls, but somehow, it still looks a little out of place. Like it has been added as an afterthought...

Travelling around the church, you have the paintings that depict the various stations of the Cross, the Mysteries or Rosaries. These paintings fit better with the church despite their sometimes pretty grim subject matter!