Parish church Söll

The church had three predecessors. As early as the year 700, a church dating back to the original parish of Söll, which extends as far back as the eighth century, was probably erected. In 1361, as recorded in a document of Bishop Friedrich of Chiemsee, a "new", probably Gothic church was consecrated, since the "old" Romanesque church had become tooo small. Of this Gothic church, only the portal at Gasthof Feldwebel and a Madonna at Unterfaisten remain. Todays Rococo church was built in the years 1765 to 1768 by local artists. Although in recent years a host of large houses have been built in the village, the Parish Church still surpasses them all, both in size and beauty. From the clearly-defined lines of the church's exterior, with extraordinarily few subdivisions for a Rococo church, one would never guess what splendours are about to be unfolded to the viewer in the church's interior. This is particularly true of the ceiling, whose paintings depict scenes from the lives of the major apostles, Peter and Paul. The artist, Christoph Anton Mayr, managed to maintain the overall unity of the ceiling composition with unique success, despite the numerous scenes depicted. Besides stucco paintings typical of the time, many other individual details strike the eye, such as the sculptural works on the High Altar. Especially expressive are the Virgin Mary in the coronation scene, at the top, and the two kneeling angels to the left and right of the tabernacle. Those who permit themselves more than five minutes to gaze at the works will recognize in full detai the high standard of local art in this era. It is no wonder that this church is known as one of the "peasant cathedrals" of the Lower Inn Valley of Tyrol.