The only church in the world through which a road passes (6 photos)

Why is an Austrian church divided by a road?





In the small town of Gmünd there is a completely unique temple: it is divided into two parts, and a road runs between them. Parishioners are sitting in one building, and across the street from them in another part of the church a priest is reading a sermon.



From time to time, cars pass through the church along the highway, and at this moment the priest falls silent so that the sound of the car does not disturb his words. This temple is called Geteilte Kirche am Kreuzbichl, which literally translates as “divided church.”

Ancient sanctuary of travelers

Once upon a time, on the site of this temple there was a sanctuary, which the locals called Marterl. There were such sacred places throughout the region: they were built for travelers and travelers, where they could pray and rest.





Gmünd is located right on the road that led from Venice to Salzburg. It was here that the most difficult path through the mountain passes began. Probably for this reason the sanctuary appeared. At this place, travelers asked for blessings for traveling to the mountains, and on the way back they thanked for their successful return.

Also, criminals sentenced to execution were led past the sanctuary. Before entering the gallows, they could pray in front of the sanctuary.

Instead of a sanctuary - a church

In 1748, a chapel was built on the site of the sanctuary: the builders placed the altar on a raised platform, and the building itself was protected by a lattice. As a result, services in the chapel looked like this: the pastor preached sermons at a height of two meters above the ground, and a crowd of people always gathered around the building. Sometimes they had to withstand strong winds or get wet in the rain.



The pastor took pity on the believers and ordered the construction of a building for them nearby. So across the road from the chapel a gallery with benches appeared. Since then, pilgrims, and now local residents, listen to sermons while sitting on benches under the roof.



Services in this chapel are still conducted today. In the first part of the church there is an altar, and across the road from it there is a two-story gallery for guests. There is not much traffic here, so the sermon is rarely interrupted.



By the way, the divided church is unique not only for its appearance, but also for the fresco inside. It was made by an apprentice of Michelangelo, who created the painting from a sketch by the great master.