Mästerby Church dates largely from the 13th century. The nave, choir and apse were built first, at the beginning of the century. In the middle of the same century, the tower was also built. The nave was made higher about a century later, and at this time both the nave and choir received vaulted ceilings. The church has remained relatively unaltered since the end of the Middle Ages. Only the sacristy is significantly later, added in 1790. New windows were also made in the 1860s.
The church is richly decorated with frescos internally. They range in period from the 13th to the 17th century. In the apse, some Romanesque paintings survive, notably a depicting of Mary, while some have been covered with other paintings in the 17th century. The vaults in the nave are decorated with frescos from the 14th century, and the walls of the nave furthermore decorated by the artist sometimes referred to as the Master of the Passion of Christ (15th century). Still other frescos, in the choir, probably date from the 16th century, while another set, again in the nave, is dated to 1633.
The baptismal font is from the 12th century, Romanesque in style and a work by the sculptor known by the assigned name Byzantios. The triumphal cross is locally made, dating from the 13th century. Other furnishings date from the time after the Reformation.
References:Linderhof is the smallest of the three palaces built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria and the only one which he lived to see completed.
Ludwig II, who was crowned king in 1864, began his building activities in 1867-1868 by redesigning his rooms in the Munich Residenz and laying the foundation stone of Neuschwanstein Castle. In 1868 he was already making his first plans for Linderhof. However, neither the palace modelled on Versailles that was to be sited on the floor of the valley nor the large Byzantine palace envisaged by Ludwig II were ever built.
Instead, the new building developed around the forester's house belonging to his father Maximilian II, which was located in the open space in front of the present palace and was used by the king when crown prince on hunting expeditions with his father.