Basilica at Weizberg

Weiz

The baroque pilgrimage church towers imposingly at the highest point of the district capital Weiz. Even before Weiz was founded, the first church is said to have been built on the Weizberg in the middle of the 11th century. It was always consecrated to the Mother of God, first "Assumption of Mary", later to the "Sorrowful Mother of God".

From simple and romantic to the baroque basilica

The minor basilica in Weiz

The first church on the Weizberg was built in the 11th century, but this simple Romanesque basilica was replaced by a baroque basilica in the 18th century. This was named a minor basilica in January 2018 and thus the fifth church in the area of the diocese of Graz Seckau.

A church with special characteristics

The baroque church building with a length of 53.58 m is equipped with fresco paintings by Josef Adam Ritter von Mölck and on the ceiling of the church you can see paintings of the five major Marian feasts of the church year. The high altar, in the middle of which there is a Pietá depiction, is the work of the well-known sculptor Veit Königer.

Fresco paintings, onion helmets and tent roofs

The two 44 m high towers of the basilica are particularly striking from the outside. Originally, these were provided with onion helmets, in keeping with the baroque architectural style. However, these were destroyed in a fire and, due to lack of money, replaced by simple tent roofs, which have become a special feature of the church.