Kirche Sogn Martin, Lumbrein

The church is open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The south-facing baroque church was built in the middle of the 17th century on the site of two previous buildings, of which only the original entrance door (Fig. 3) with the carvings was retained. In the vestibule there is a remarkable but also shocking example of Christ martyred on the cross (4).

In 1661, the episcopal court painter from Chur, Johann Rudolph Sturn (d. c. 1662), created the large picture of the Queen of the Rosary (5) on the north wall next to the pulpit. It is a kind of tree of life with Mary and her child in the middle. She distributes a rosary to St. Dominic and St. Catherine of Siena. All around, medallions depict the 15 mysteries of the Rosary.

A special highlight is the Last Judgement (6) on the north wall, as it was only rediscovered and restored under the whitewash in 1968. For this purpose, the entire organ loft above the entrance door had to be demolished and the instrument had to be rebuilt on a loggia (7) in the choir. The painting, painted in 1694, is signed by Nicolaus de Juliani (Giuliani) from Roveredo. In the centre of the picture is the trumpet angel (8) with the flag and the inscription "Surgite Mortui Venite Ad Judicum" (Arise, you dead, come to judgment). By the way: A Last Judgement was also uncovered in the church of Degen, but it was in much worse condition.

The two-storey baroque high altar (9) was created by Antoni Sigrist from Brig (d. 1745). The twisted columns surrounded by vine leaves and red grapes are striking.

Under the choir with an access door from the outside is a so-called ossuary with a remarkable remains of an altar (10) by Hans Jakob Greuter (1630).

Text and pictures: Walter Müller (wmueller@hispeed.com) in cooperation with Surselva Tourismus