Attraction Chapel Schneiderliasnkapelle

The Schneiderlias Chapel, dedicated to St. Florian, was built according to a legend in the 13th century; an inscription gives the year of construction as 1813.

Description

The Schneiderlias Chapel, dedicated to St. Florian, is said to have been built in the 13th century according to a legend, although an inscription gives the year 1813 as the date of construction.

Even though a legend about the construction of the Schneiderlias Chapel is told almost identically in two other places, there may still be a bit of truth in this story about the origin of St. Florian's Chapel in the Plaik:

“A man from Leutasch, known as the Plaikner, had promised a pilgrimage to St. James of Compostela in Spain if God would grant him a male heir. God heard his prayer. As soon as the son had grown into a young man, he set out on the journey with his wife and son. When they stopped at an inn in the town of St. Dominici Calciatensis, the innkeeper's daughter fell in love with the young man. However, he had pledged his virginity to the Blessed Virgin and therefore firmly resisted her wicked advances. This angered the innkeeper's daughter, who secretly placed her father's silver cup in his travel bag. The next morning, she chased after the travelers, accused the young man of theft, and pulled the cup out of his bag. The young man was captured, imprisoned, sentenced to death by hanging, and indeed executed. However, being aware of his innocence, he commended himself to the Blessed Virgin and St. James. Meanwhile, his parents traveled in great sorrow to St. James and performed their devotion there. After this, they returned by the same route. Behold, they found their son still alive hanging from the gallows, who spoke: Father, I am still alive and well. Mary and St. James received me unharmed. The father reported this to the judge, who had just had a roasted rooster and hen before him. So little, said the judge, as this rooster and this hen live, lives your son. Hardly had he spoken this, when the rooster and hen leapt up. The innocent young man was immediately taken down from the gallows and returned home fresh and healthy with his parents.”

On the walls of the chapel, this event is impressively illustrated. The altar painting depicts the Queen of Heaven with the Child Jesus. At the lower edge of the altar painting, one can find the following inscription in a small circle: “To honor Katharina Schöpfin, I had this chapel built in the year 1813 for Mary and St. Katharina and St. Barbara.” A statue of St. Florian and a statue of the Sorrowful Mother adorn the altar.

St. Florian seems to particularly hold his protective hand over the chapel: Years ago, after an evening service, the candles were forgotten and left burning. A fire broke out. The altar cloth burned and also scorched the outer edge of the altar. The fire also caught the small house over which St. Florian holds his water bucket. The flames blackened it to the gable. Strangely enough, the fire went out without human intervention. The inhabitants of the Plaikner farms looked at the sight before them the next day in astonishment and realized the danger they were in. If the chapel had completely caught fire, the flames could have spread to the farms as well.