The Assumption

Mary’s physical ascension into Heaven

Saint James is the patron saint of the small church at Ort Castle. The high altarpiece dates back to the second half of the 18th century and is probable produced in Kremser Schmidt’s workshop. Kremser Schmidt, whose real name is Martin Johann Schmidt, is one of the most outstanding painters of the Austrian Late Baroque.

The painting shows Mary’s Assumption into Heaven. She is welcomed by Jesus with Saint James watching over them both. The belief in the physical ascension of Mary is documented from the 6th century on and is pronounced a dogma of the Roman Catholic Church by Pope Pious XII on November 1, 1950.

In the bottom right corner the altarpiece provides an interesting view of Ort Castle; the rampart of wooden poles in the water around the castle are clearly visible, before the building and its fortifications fall victim to a devastating fire in 1634. The remains of the fortification can still be seen in the water around the castle today.