Kostely a kláštery

In 1336 we find the first evidence of an independent Montan parish priest. Whether he already lived in this house, however, is not attested. Only in 1537/38 - Christian Seidl from Reichental in the diocese of Salzburg was parish priest at that time - is a Widum mentioned, which is described as very small, old and dilapidated.

The parish priest Alexander Giovanelli, who worked here from 1702 to 1743, rebuilt the vicarage at great expense and settled the matter with the parish and the church provost in 1734.

The frescoes, St. Nepomuk (water and bridge saint and at the same time the only saint with a star wreath) and the "Mater Dolorosa", whose worship was promoted by parish priest Alexander Giovanelli, were probably also painted at this time. In the Widum there is a panelled farmhouse parlour with an old fireplace, as well as an archive with 233 volumes and baptismal, marriage and death registers from the 16th century. These have been preserved despite looting and arson by the French.

In the cadastre of 1775, the Widumhof has a stable and barn, "torggl" (wine press), herb garden and small meadows with fruit trees, arable land and vineyards.

From the old church from 1332 only the lower part of the tower with its Roman round arch window still remain. The red tower with its imperial roof was built in 1739. The last redesign of the church’s interior during the second half of the 19th century gave the church its New-Roman touch. The artist Karl Hernrici painted an impressive ceiling fresco in 1772.

The Loreto Chapel is located in Kalditsch/Doladizza above Montan/Montagna and is part of the "Rothenhof." It was consecrated on September 22, 1702 by Prince Bishop Michael von Spaur. The church day is celebrated annually at the end of September with a solemn service. The high altarpiece is a magnificent work by the Val di Fiemme-based painter Giuseppe Alberti. The inscription on the church roof, visible from afar, depicts a monogram of the Virgin Mary.

When malaria raged in the swampy Adige Valley in summer, the monks of the Capuchin monastery in Neumarkt moved to the so-called Klösterle in Gschnon, which is 1000 meters above sea level. Today the Klösterle is a self-catering house. In summer, it is used for retreats and spiritual exercises.

In September, the German Capuchin Order invites men up to 50 years of age to come and live in the Klösterle in Gschnon, to be active together in the mountains, to organize everyday life together, to spend time in worship, silence and prayer, and to engage in conversation.

The church in St. Konstantin is the most impressive daughter church of Völs and offers Gothic splendor and unique architecture. Its tower with onion dome and charming pointed arch portals is unique. Inside, a beautiful painting of the church patron Constantine awaits you, lovingly recreated by H. Pescoller. From here you can also enjoy a breathtaking view of the Schlern.

The chapel Saint Cosmas & Damian in Glen/Gleno was built in the 17th century. The architectural character is quite simple, but the chapel contains numerous artworks on the inside. One of the artworks is the votive picture marked with the year "1691." It may indicate the year of construction of the chapel.

The parish church of Neumarkt/Egna is dedicated to St. Nicholas. The Romanesque porch dates back to the 12th century and was renovated in the 15th century. The tower was built in the 13th century. The choir, built by the master stonemason Konrad von Neumarkt, is an excellent example of late Gothic architecture.

The parish church is dedicated to S. Andrea. It was mentioned first in 1215. The church was built in baroque style of sacred architecture. On the front you can see statues of the Saints Pietro and Paolo, Andrea and Nicolò and Mary.

 

Lovers of Gothic ought not to miss this gem. Not only the S. Leonardo's Church winged altar from the late 15th century, associated with the wood-carving studio of Hans Schnatterpeck, but also the unique frescoes, are worth seeing.

House number 17 of the Via Portici is a building of great historical and artistic interest, whose long period of restoration has allowed for the documentation of the construction and embellishment phases. At the end of the 15th century, the first construction phase took place, from which you can still see the original three-pointed arch vaults of the arcade and the late Gothic profile of the windows on the façade, walled in and substituted in later eras. The painted ceiling of the great central hall stems from the first half of the 16th century and is considered one of the most beautiful ones in the entire region. This hall is situated between the atrium and the back courtyard, measures 17 x 6 meters, and is illuminated by two triple-mullioned late Gothic windows. The ceiling is beamed, with painted friezes framing painted wooden boards that feature allegorical motifs, male and female portraits, and coats of arms of noble and village families of the area. In the middle of the 16th century, the atrium was completed, inspired by the Renaissance, characterized by incised decorations and by a loggia of semicircular arches on three sides of the second floor. The rich painted decoration of the atrium on the first floor stems from the end of the 16th century, while the frescoes on the façade date back to the 1600s. The building was purchased by the town in 1889 and donated to the parish in 1978; today, it is the seat of the parish community of Neumarkt/Egna.

 

The parish church of Montan/Montagna is dedicated to St. Bartholomew. The majestic façade of the church fits perfectly into the picturesque village-scape. The neo-Romanesque broad front is impressive. The tower, which dates back to the 12th / 13th century, is the oldest part of the church. The church owes its present form to a new building constructed in the 19th century (1875-1881). A special piece of equipment of the parish church is the pulpit, whose openwork sandstone tracery forms the year 1489.

The Gothic church of St. Peter, built in the 16th century, is located at the southern entrance to the village of Auer/Ora, next to the local cemetery. In past times, it was the most important church of the surrounding villages and is situated in a pit about 5 meters deep and was often inaccessible due to flooding of the nearby Rio Nero stream. It had to be uncovered again and again and was finally protected by a stone wall. Today, after restoration work in the 1970s, the church is open to the public for Holy Masses and celebrations and houses the oldest organ in South Tyrol that can still be played. It was built in 1599 by the organ builder Hans Schwarzenbach.

The parish church of St. Florian/St. Floriano on the old imperial road north of Laag/Laghetti was first mentioned in 1189, but it dates back to around 1145. The lower part of the nave dates from the time of its first mention (1189). The choir with the accentuated towering choir loft replaced an older end in the 13th century. The church of St. Florian is a unique artistic monument. In the nave, the old Romanesque building form is still preserved. Later, an elevated transverse square was attached to this nave, which was probably intended as a domed building. A round apse was attached to it in the 12th century, the exterior decoration of which features beautiful pilaster strips and a round arch frieze with various sculptures worth seeing. From 2005 to 2008, the church was restored from the ground up. The outside area around the church was also redesigned and a parking lot was built. On May 03, 2008, the church of St. Florian was consecrated by Bishop Wilhelm Egger.

Both the church and the tower of St. Martin's Church date back to the twelfth century. St. Martin's is the original parish church of Mals and remained closed until recently. Only a few celebrations are still held in this church today. 

St Martin's Church is open to visitors every Wednesday and Saturday from April to October.

The parish church of Cauria is dedicated to Santa Margherita. It was built in the 13th century and rebuilt in gothic style.

 

 

The Capuchin monastery and its small church were built between 1617 and 1620. The church has a simple design in accordance with the style and regulations of the Capuchin Order: simple in terms of furnishings, bare walls, barrel vaults, and a side chapel on the south side. The high altar is dedicated to the Sacred Heart. The pulpit and the side altars are neo-Romanesque and date back to the 19th century. The altar of the side chapel contains a statue of the mother of God with Child from the middle of the 16th century, which is said to have miraculous powers. Between 1999 and 2003, the whole complex was carefully restored. In the little church, this also led to the renewal of the windows and the benches, which – in harmony with the surroundings – are now simple and linear. Thus, the light penetrates through seven beautiful glass panes that seem to communicate with the faithful through their symbolic meaning of colors and number.

The parish church is situated in the old center of the village and is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It was built in 1674 in order to have a second church because the Church San Pietro was often not accessible due to flooding of the Rio Nero. The architecture of the church is modest and simple. Inside, the baroque main altar with the life-size statue of Our Lady stands out. The two side altars are simple Baroque altars and dedicated to St. Anthony and St. Joseph.

The military cemetery in Auer/Ora was originally established in 1916 as a burial ground for the chiefly Russian and Serbian war prisoners who had died while working on the old Val di Fiemme railroad. Additionally, a military hospital was established in Auer during WWI. A burial ground was set up at the site of today's military cemetery for fallen soldiers and for the workers who died during the construction of the railroad.

During WWII, the burial ground was likewise used as a cemetery for the war dead. The bodies of Austro-Hungarian soldiers who had fallen on the Dolomite Front were exhumed and transferred to their respective national cemeteries. Until 2003, the association for victims of war and combatants of South Tyrol took care of the military cemetery. From 2003 on, the "Schützenkompanie" Auer took over the cemetery's administration.

The parish church of Pochi is dedicated to Sant'Orsola. The church was built in romanesque style in the 14th century, the church spire dates from this period. The gothic chancel was built in the 15th century.

 

The Klösterle in St. Florian/St. Floriano was built in the 13th century as a pilgrims' hospice and offered accommodation to many travelers in the past because of its strategic location, 25 km (one day's walk) from Trento and Bolzano/Bozen. It is one of the few hospices of this type still completely preserved in Europe. It is believed that the famous painter Albrecht Dürer, on his first trip to Italy, sought a place to stay in the Klösterle because of flooding. The well-preserved unique art monument, in Romanesque style, is accessible to visitors via the Dürer path. During the summer months, events such as concerts and plays are staged there.

The gothical building was established between 1467 and 1470 of master Jörg. From the outside on recognize the simple portal, the small pyramid-shaped ridge turret and that gothical five-eighth choir with the four windows.

The St. Sebastian Chapel with its bell-tower dates back to the plague period in 1635. Due to the solemn promise of the community it was built in Gothic style and dedicated to the Saints of the plague St. Sebastian and Rochus. The chapel was built on a spot, which was believed to be a place of pagan cult.

In 1992 in the church "Unsere liebe Frau auf dem Bichl" the in Laces standing stone (3.300-2.200 B.C.) was found during restoration work by the State Monument Authorities. The stele, which is made from the finest Vinschgau marble, formed the supporting surface of the altar table. The top and bottom parts as well parts of the left upper side of the 107 cm high, 77 cm wide and 12 cm thick stone are missing. It was probably originally located around where the current church stands on the hill and would thus have been visible from afar. As well as the iconic features common to all the male engraved stones from the Etsch valley group, such as scalloped belts, axes, daggers, clubs, bows, various decorative elements and fringed capes, elements are present that belong to the Lombardy group from Val Camonica and Valtellina, such as suns, deer and stylised male figure. Thus the in Laces standing stone is great proof of the ancient connection of the Vinschgau and the Etsch valley and the valleys of north-eastern Lombardy.

Can be visited as part of the cultural village tour every Wednesday (from April-October) at 10 a.m.
Reservation +39 0473 623 109 

The Stephanus Church was originally built in Romanesque style around the year 1200. Afterwards the church was rebuilt in the Gothic style. Inside the church there's the famous winged altar, which was created around 1485 by the South-Tyrolean artist Hans Klocker. Today, this altar is one of the biggest and most beautiful winged altars of Tyrol.

The first written documentation referring to this church appears at the end of the 14th century. From this era, the bell tower remains today, with its double-mullioned windows surmounted by triple-mullioned windows and frescoes on the façade representing the saints Anne, Catherine and Margaret, Christopher with the baby Jesus, and St. Michael, to whom the church is dedicated. In 1672, the church was restored, supplied with a barrel vault, and supplemented with a new chancel, side altar, and sacristy. Particularly rich are the decorations of the choir stalls: The scenes depicted on the parapet stem from the 17th century and represent the Visitation of Mary and Elizabeth, the Adoration of the Magi, the circumcision of Jesus, the flight from Egypt, and the Massacre of the Innocents. The busts painted on the lower part of the choir stalls represent the twelve Apostles and date back to the 18th century. The interior of the church is bare due to the theft of the furnishings and sacred images in 1969. The stolen original altarpiece was replaced by a representation of St. Michael fighting evil.

 

Assumption of the Virgin Mary is one of the most beautiful late Gothic buildings in South Tyrol. During the Second World War the church was damaged, it was altered according to baroque artistic sensibilities. With the last restoration from 1991 to 1998 the old late Gothic form was brought back to life. In 1488 master Narcissus created the winged altar. The side altars are neo-Gothic superstructures.

High above the entrance into the Val Gardena, to the north of Kastelruth and surrounded by meadows and forest, lies the hamlet of Tagusens. The little church dedicated to St Mary Magdalenen stands at the edge of the dispersed settlement on a distinctive rocky hill. Its position permits the conjecture that a cult site may have already been located here in pre-Christian times. The church building itself is from the Romanesque period and was presumably built in the 13th c., later modified in the Gothic style and finally adapted to the Baroque in 1667.

St. Nicholas’s Church in Laces is a Romanesque church from the 14th century. Formerly it belonged to the monastery of Laces, now it belongs to the municipality of Laces. The remains of the frescoes by the southern front of the church, which portray the crucifixion of St. Nicholas and St. Christopher, are well worth a look.

Since 2017 it is exibition place of the menhir: the top and bottom parts as well parts of the left upper side of the 107 cm high, 77 cm wide and 12 cm thick stone are missing. It was probably originally located around where the current church stands on the hill and would thus have been visible from afar. As well as the iconic features common to all the male engraved stones from the Etsch valley group, such as scalloped belts, axes, daggers, clubs, bows, various decorative elements and fringed capes, elements are present that belong to the Lombardy group from Val Camonica and Valtellina, such as suns, deer and stylised male figure. Thus the Laces standing stone is great proof of the ancient connection of the Vinschgau and the Etsch valley and the valleys of north-eastern Lombardy.

The church is open daily from 09 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Evidence of a church in this area dates back to the mid-13th century, but the construction of the building as we know it today began in 1412 when the choir loft was built by Konrad von Neumarkt. It was completed when the vault was finished at the beginning of the 16th century. The façade of the church is dominated by the bell tower, which stands above the entrance and forms a vestibule leading to the entrance portal. Next to it, a niche for donations is decorated with a fresco of a Madonna and Child, and on the west side of the tower, a small wooden roof protects a fresco of St. Christopher with the Child Jesus. The interior of the church looks light and elegant. Light streams through eight windows, four of which belong to the choir. Of particular value are the Gothic tabernacle and the pulpit base. Of the frescoes in the interior that have survived the test of time, those on the south wall are attributed to the painter Konrad Waider at the beginning of the 16th century. Coat of arms paintings of the Payr of Caldiff and Khuen mark their tombs on the north side of the nave. In 1767, the church was desecrated because the Trudner Bach, which had overflowed its banks, had destroyed a large part of the interior. As a result, it was used, among other things, as a storeroom. Around the middle of the last century, people became aware of the artistic value of the building, restored it, and consecrated it again. Today the church "Unsere Liebe Frau in der Vill" is considered one of the most beautiful late Gothic churches in the country.

The southern entrance to Laag/Laghetti is characterized by the presence of the St. Lawrence's Church. Dedicated to the Fourteen Holy Helpers in 1532, the late Gothic building sports a portal, the windows of the bell tower, and the nave all in pointed arches. The ceiling is a honeycomb vault, while its ogives and external ribs are decorated with a design alternating the colors black, ochre, and white. The little church was extensively restored in 2007-2008 and the sacred furnishings, works by the sculptor Paul dë Doss-Moroder, were renovated. This is only the last of several interventions carried out in the course of the centuries.