Roman Gravestone Hidden in a Bavarian Church Wall

The Roman gravestone mounted in the wall of the church. samuelhardman (Atlas Obscura User)

At first glance, the Church of St. Michael in the small village of Widdersberg looks much like the other baroque churches in the area. However, tucked away in an alcove on the outside of the southeast wall, a Roman gravestone dating back to the 2nd century can be seen.

Formed from a hefty slab of dolomite, the gravestone depicts a man and a woman, thought to be a married couple, surrounded by a wreath. Who these people were is not known. However, based on the stone’s design, historians believe it was probably originally carved in the nearby Roman Empire town of Augusta Vindelicorum (now the German city of Augsburg).

There is also evidence that after its initial use as a Roman grave marker, the carved stone may have had a second life. In faded red lettering on the face of the stone you can make out a date from the 1500s, and a cross. This raises the possibility that the gravestone was reused in the 16th century, possibly for a church official from the nearby monastery at Andechs.