St. John (Laas)

Church of St. John
Construction year:	1849 to 1852
Inauguration:	September 24, 1854
Builder :	Road construction engineer Plach
Style elements :	Gothic
Client:	Parish of Laas
Dimensions:	34.78 × 14.22 × 13.59 m
Towers:	1
Location:	46 ° 37 '1.4 " N , 10 ° 41' 55.7" E Coordinates: 46 ° 37 '1.4 " N , 10 ° 41' 55.7" E
Address:	Vinschgaustraße ; Laas (South Tyrol) ; South Tyrol , Trentino-Alto Adige , Italy
Purpose:	Roman Catholic parish church
Local community:	Lasa
Parish:	Lasa
Diocese :	Bozen-Brixen

The Church of St. John the Baptist is the parish church of the municipality of Laas in South Tyrol .

history

During the restoration of the church in 1974, the remains of an even older church from Carolingian times were found under the marble church built around 1220/1230 . Their floor plans were found in the area of today's choir and apse . After the partial uncovering, the floor plan of a single-nave hall church could be seen. These foundations are very likely from the 9th century, which is supported by the discovery of a marble plaited ribbon fragment. A marble head found in the process is even dated to the 5th or 6th century. The finds were inserted laterally in the triumphal arch of the apse.

Around 1200 or a little later, the so-called marble church was built on the site of the Carolingian church.

After renovations in the course of the Gothicization (1504) and other changes in the 19th century, only the tower and the restored side of the apse remain.

Like the neighboring St. Markus Chapel , St. Johannes fell victim to the Engadines in the Swabian War in 1499 , who burned the building down. Traces of fire on the remains of the painting in the apse indicate this. The rebuilding in the Gothic style was completed in 1502 and the church was consecrated by Chur Auxiliary Bishop and Vicar General Stephan Tschuggli.

The visitation protocol of Bishop John VI. Flugi von Aspermont from 1638 says (in German translation of the Latin text):

“The parish church of St. Johann in Laas is a very beautiful place of worship, the church has a continuous vault, it has a particularly noteworthy organ outside the choir, on the gospel side, as well as three altars, then a tabernacle on the gospel side; the copper monstrance is gilded and has a broken glass. On the epistle side, above the sacristy door, there is a stone pulpit. The tower is tall and pointed and has a clock. This church was consecrated anew, in 1416 by Konrad Auxiliary Bishop from Trient and in 1502 by Stephan von Chur, together with the Church of St. Mark the Evangelist, where he consecrated 2 altars in the choir. "

In the years 1758/1759 the Romanesque apse was demolished, only the foundation walls remained. A hexagonal choir was built in its place, in the construction of which a great deal of material from the apse was used, which made its subsequent reconstruction much easier. When the church was rebuilt in 1849, the choir was closed with a wall and used as a sacristy from then on . In 1930 the “ufficio delle belle arti” in Trento had the roof of the sacristy reduced and the east gable wall exposed again.

In the great village fires of 1763 and 1861, the church was spared, even if in 1861 the belfry and the roof of the sacristy had already caught fire; but what the villagers were able to delete in time.

The constant efforts of pastor Martin Tappeiner to build a new church meant that the authorities began to deal with the matter. There were plans by the road construction engineer Plach and the architect Krammer. The latter had taken the All Saints Court Church in Munich as a model. The decision was made for the cheaper plan from Plach. On February 1, 1847, the prince-bishop's ordinariate of Trient informed the “Commendable kk Kreisamt zu Botzen” that the cheaper plan had been accepted by the road builder Plach. Fared approval, the outbuildings of the Widums tear, and the cemetery in the westerly church Widumanger to install. As a new business building Widums (house and barn ) is no longer in-use former St. Mark's Church was provided.

In 1849 the new building or renovation could begin. The church had become too small, but funds for a magnificent building were not available after the fire disaster of 1763, which was still having an impact. They wanted to build a house of God that should be functional, spacious and, above all, inexpensive.

Among other things, calls were made to raise the necessary funds:

“... In order to cover the expenses in cash, it (the community) issues an appeal to all who are pious of heart and encourages them to take part in the promotion of a work which, if carried out, is not only for the good of the community , but will also serve as an ornament of the whole fatherland ... What can be used by the old church is happily used in the new one. The old beautiful portal will also adorn the new church. "

According to Plach's plan, the old nave was raised and half of it was used as a new choir, the nave was extended and a vestibule was built. The length, including the presbytery, is 110 Viennese feet (34.78 meters), the width 45 Viennese feet (14.22 meters) and the height 43 Viennese feet (13.59 meters). The large entrance portal and the three-part arched window with stepped reveal on the west side were taken over unchanged from the old church.

Apparently it was difficult to wrest the plan for a simple execution from the approval authority in Merano . Understanding was requested, especially with the simplified construction already started. In 1850 the community of Laas was still fighting a tough battle with the kk district administration in Merano because of the very simple design of the church. On June 27th she wrote:

“Therefore the congregation was compelled to simplify the said plan, and thereby to save the costs exceeding their forces and yet to get a spacious and decent place of worship. She really only simplified the plan, executed the basic plan, left half of the old parish church to the new presbytery, and built the nave in the same position and height. "

The construction was carried out using the semicircular arc on all parts. The barrel vault rises above stitch caps , the walls are divided by flat pilasters that are decorated with pieces of entablature. The same can be found on both sides of the triumphal arch, which forms the transition from the nave to the choir and, since the renovation in 1974, has encompassed the altar wall. There was no money for stucco and frescoes . Construction was completed in 1854.

Keystone in the main portal with the year of completion

On 24 June 1852, the church of Rev. Martin Tappeiner was benediziert and on September 24, 1854 "Prince Bishops His Grace" John of Nepomuk at Tschiderer to Gleifheim, Bishop of Trent ordained. In the years 1883 and 1885, the two outer houses were added on the north and south sides.

During the First World War, on March 2, 1917, a total of 11 bells with a total weight of 1720 kilograms and in 1918 another two bells with a total weight of 531 kilograms were confiscated in Laas . As compensation, 4 crowns were paid per kilogram . (You needed the material for the guide rings of grenades )

During the renovation in the 1970s, the apse was restored. In the chancel, the high altar was moved in front and the nave was separated from the apse. In accordance with the provisions of the Second Vatican Council , the pulpit and the semicircular, marble communion bench were removed and a popular altar was erected in their place according to the design by the sculptor Josef Brunner . Furthermore, an ambo designed by Hans Strimmer with the symbols of the four evangelists and a marble holder for the Easter candle were made by the sculptor Josef Mayr. With the redefinition of the apse, the sacristy had been removed. This has now been housed in a newly built extension on the south side. The wooden belfry was replaced by a steel one with a counter pendulum system.

In 2004, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the renovation and the rededication, the (colloquially so-called) “Santa Hons year” with various church activities took place. On the church day, a relic of Bishop Johannes Nepomuk von Tschiderer, who was beatified by Pope John Paul II on April 30, 1995, was left.

Building

Altars

High altar

Right side altar

The high altar has a wide, flat structure of columns between pilasters with entablature, above vase attachments and the round gable, adorned with angel figures, tendrils and a crucifix in the center. On the inside there are figures of St. Nicholas with three golden apples on the gospel book and Abbot Pirmin , the founder of the monastery, also with a gospel book and a serpent wound around it. On the outside left you can see St. Florinus von Matsch , patron of the Vinschgau and von Chur, with a wine vessel in one hand and a biretta in the other. The far right is the hl. Laurentius with the grate. The four statues were created in 1853 by Franz Xaver Renn from Imst . The high altar sheet comes from the Viennese painter Josef Ritter und Edler von Hempel , who gave it to the Laas church as a gift. It shows the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist.

The side altars , which were probably taken over from the previous church, date from the second half of the 18th century. They are built with columns, moving beams and angelic volute gables. In the middle of the gable of the left altar is the heart of Jesus in a halo at the top, with a Pietà in the center below . This was created in 1862 by Philipp Sieß from the Upper Inn Valley. The right side altar shows on the gable in a halo the heart of St. Mary, including a wooden figure of the Madonna with the rosary, made in 1853 by Joseph Strasser.

Nave

The simple and yet decorative painting of the nave was done in 1902 by Johann Rohrgger from Meran. On the triumphal arch there are other paintings by Philipp Sieß, such as God the Father and the Annunciation with two pairs of angels, as well as 12 medallions with the apostles in the reveal . The twelve panels of the Stations of the Cross date from the middle of the 19th century, as do the six windows in the so-called carpet pattern, made by the Tyrolean glass painting in Innsbruck. The rear windows on both sides of the gallery, a donation from Pastor Karl Schaller, were irreparably damaged during the renovation in 1974 and replaced with simple, pewter-covered glass. In their original state they showed St. John and the namesake of the donor, St. Charles Borromeo in life size.

The organ gallery is supported by two pillars and was built at the beginning of the 20th century. The parapet is decorated with painted plaster relifs, musical instruments and St. Cecilia surrounded by angels playing music. The reliefs come from the Lasa Marble School.

The Hochkruzifik was built around 1500.

apse

The Romanesque apse , which dates from the 12th century, was reconstructed in 1973 with found original parts. It is structured by half-columns and windows, which are decorated with eagle and leaf capitals . Figurative reliefs of lions and saints adorn the arched frieze . The old masonry was exposed and the window openings made smaller. A small, walled-up door to the tower was opened and enlarged a little. It forms the eastern entrance through the tower into the apse. The wooden ceiling is supported by eight transverse beams. The front of the altar table is decorated with an early medieval relief with three male figures, possibly the saints martyrs Sisinius, Alexander and Martyrius. On the back wall there is a crucifixion group from around 1520 with a body of Christ, covered by a fluttering loincloth with small wrinkles. Mary and St. John, the two figures on the side, are probably by another artist.

The Gothic white marble baptismal font dates from the late 15th century. The glass windows installed in 1983 were designed by the artist Jörg Hofer from Laas. In 2004 the parish of Laas received relics of the Nonsberg martyrs Sisinius, Matrtyrus and Alexander from the diocese of Trento . For storage, a reliquary in the form of a stele made of white marble was made by the academic sculptor Alfred Gutweninger from Lass. It is located in the apse.

The apse is separated from the actual church space by the altar wall and is used as a workshop church, baptistery and for smaller celebrations.

organ

The organ prospectus from the time of the current church building is a work in the classical style. An ornament-crowned round arch is attached to the simple basic form of three large fields with cornices. The organ was originally located further up front on the gallery, making it look even more massive. The case contained an instrument that was built in 1853 by Josef Sies from Schnann (now Pettneu am Arlberg ). In 1907 the Mayer brothers built a new plant with a pneumatic cone store. The plan of a 24-register disposition could not be realized and one had to be satisfied with 20 registers . In 1996, at the suggestion of Pastor Franz Trenkwalder, the restoration of the organ began. The organ building company Martin Vier in Friesenheim was commissioned with the work. The old, 28-register disposition was restored and the organ case was repaired. On July 22nd, 2001 the renewed organ was blessed.

tower

The Romanesque tower, which also dates back to the 12th century, was originally free-standing and has double-arched and, above, triple-arched windows in the Lombard style, but without blind strips and round arched frieze. The pillars of the arched windows bear the cube capitals typical of the 12th century. The bricked square helmet came to light during the restoration in 1938 when the hollow bricks had been removed. A new cover was no longer applied and the helmet was left in its original condition. The preserved Gothic plaster was repaired and, where necessary, renewed with lime mortar.

A tower clock is proven as early as 1496, as can be seen in the land register of the same year:

"I casper schlosser settled down to schlanders publicly confess with my present aygner handwriting that I have given myself good willns and that I have said that they have in common and afterward to leave the time of my life the primordial parish church to be kept in my costume and the You should give me some food "

Which means that Casper Schlosser would keep the tower clock in Laas in order for his entire life against payment and food.

Peal

Of the six existing bells, the former "big one" is now the second largest and the only one that was not removed during the First World War . It was cast by Georg Schelener in 1676 and is decorated with various reliefs. Such a crucifixion group, Coronation of Mary, St. Michael, St. Anthony of Padua and a female figure. It had to be cast in 1930 because it had cracked. The inscriptions on the bell read:

"A fulgure et tempestate libera nos Domine Jesu Christe"

and:

"Georg Shelener had given me MDCLXXVI STP" (Simon Tanner Pastor)

at the bottom:

"Vivos foco - Mortus plango - Fulgura frango / Rifusa da Luigi Colbacchini in Trento AD 1930"

It sounds in the F sharp tone, has a weight of 818 kilograms and a diameter of 107 centimeters.

Four new bells were ordered in 1925 and one more in 1930.

The bell from 1930 is the largest today with a weight of 1450 kilograms and a diameter of 107 centimeters. It sounds in Dis. The inscription reads: "All saints pray for us, Heart of Jesus most worthy of all praise, have mercy on us."

Bell no.3 rings in G sharp, has a diameter of 96 cm and weighs 550 kilograms. The inscription reads:

"Luigi Colbacchini e figli fecero in Trento AD MCMXXV. A peste fame et bello libera nos Domine Jesu Christe. Vivos voco - mortuos plango - fulgara frango "

Bell No. 4 sounds in the A sharp tone, has a diameter of 85 cm and weighs 370 kilograms. The inscription reads: “Luigi Colbacchini e figli fecero in Trento AD MCMXXV. Vivos voco-mortuos plango-fulgara frango "
Bell no. 5 sounds in c sharp, is 70 cm in diameter and weighs 215 kilograms. The inscription reads: “Luigi Colbacchini e figli fecero in Trento AD MCMXXV. Sancta Maria, ora pro clero a Lasa "
Bell No. 6 sounds in F sharp, has a diameter of 52 cm and weighs 78 kilograms. The inscription reads: “Bell of the Franz Wallnöfer family - Hans Gartner - Josef Gartner. Luigi Colbacchini e figli fecero in Trento AD MCMXXV. "

The bells ring every day for Angelus at 07.00, at 12.00 and at 18.00. The bell of the tower clock strikes every quarter of an hour from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. The full chiming of the hour is taken over by another bell.

literature

Gertraud Laimer Tappeiner: Churches of Laas, Eyrs, Tschengls and Tanas. Ed. Pfarre Laas, Verlag Tappeiner, Lana 2011, pp. 73–78.

Web links

Commons : St. John - collection of images, videos and audio files

Entry in the monument browser on the website of the South Tyrolean Monuments Office