Churches and monasteries

The old church at Oris was St. Bartholomew's. After a landslide destroyed the entire settlement, a new church was built at the foot of the mountain dedicated to St. Remigio and was documented for the first time in 1424. Landslides recorded in 1831, 1840 and 1855 destroyed the town and in 1852 a new church was built. Worship: Sunday 10 am in German

It is said that the Church of Maria Lourdes was built due to the fact that, on 15th June 1885 in that very spot, a cart fell off a bridge killing Benedict Edler von Vintschgau, of Merano. His wife had the chapel built in his memory, dedicating it to the Virgin Mary. The parish priest, Ortner, later had a new church built in neo-romantic style in honour of the Madonna of Lourdes and it remains a place of pilgrimage even today.

If you let your gaze wander over the barren slopes of the Sonnenberg mountain range in the Vinschgau valley in summertime, the white-chalk St. Ägidius' church above Silandro/Schlanders will stand out. Embedded in the stone terraces of the Corzes/Kortsch steppe belt, the small Romanesque church resembles a Mediterranean rock church.

With its octagonal spire and the oversized Christophorus fresco on the south facade , St. Ägidius is also a landmark of the valley. The massive tower with a octagon roof was not built until the 14th century, when the Romanesque church was expanded. The Christophorus fresco, on the other hand, dates from around 1330. Inside there are also wall paintings from the 13th and 15th centuries, when the church above the Kortscher Leiten meadows was much used.

As a result of the strategically favourable environs featuring a view over the valley, people settled here in ancient times. Specifically, the remains of a prehistoric settlement, known locally as the “Schatzknott," were uncovered nearby.

Consecrated to St. Oswald, this church is of particular artistic significance and was constructed in 1329. A variety of artists is responsible for the frescoes which were all painted during the 18th and 19th century. The key to the church is available by the vicarage.

This Church was cited as early as 1298; today's building, however was built at the beginning of the XVI century. The rich and original reticular vault ceiling is particularly worthy of note. The Church was restored in 1938 following a fire.

The Magdalena church was built from scratch in 1705, because in 1629 was already built a chapel dedicated to St. Magdalena. The altar dates back to the Renaissance and was probably already in the first chapel.

A display board in the Rienzschlucht gorge provides information on the 11-km long natural pressure water system of Lüsen, which was constructed on the high plateau in the 1950s. Thanks to this pioneering work, life on the high plateau was changed fundamentally. From a poor arid region, it turned into a thriving landscape anda bustling tourist destination.

In 1983, a fountain was built in honor of the founder of the soil improvement consortium on the High Apple Plateau of Natz, Mr. Jakob Auer Flötscher. The fountain in the center of Natz displays his bust in bronze. Auer was a pioneer of environmentalism, as he was the driving force in the construction of a natural pressure water system, which has provided the high plateau with fresh water ever since.

 

The church was built between 1821 and 1824 under the supervision of Jakob Prantl. The frescoes were created by the local painter Josef Renzler in 1823.

The gothic church of Avigna/Afing was approximately built in the 15th century, its patron saint is Saint Nicolò. 

Named after the Virgin Mary, the church and its tower date back to
Romanesque times. The church was rebuilt and re-consecrated in 1638. A
stone with a magnificent coat of arms is set above the pointed archway
and the 17th Century Cross on the west façade survived a devastating
village fire in 1876.

St. Anna Chapel in Schanzen was built during the first part of the 15th century, it includes a late-gothic wing-altar.

The St. Ulrich-Kirchlein in Gschleier gives hikers a beautiful view over the surrounding mountains. The originally very simple Romanesque construction was rebuilt in 1859. The altarpiece of the holy Bishop Ulrich was painted by the painter Psenner from Ums.

At St. Ulrich-chapel in Gschleier the hiker enjoys a magnificent view of the surrounding mountain world. The original simple Romanesque building was renovated in 1859. The altarpiece with Bishop Ulrich was painted by artist Psenner from Ums.

The Church of Visitation dates back to around 1640 and inside there is an octagonal-shaped choir enclosure, originally with stucco ornamentations. On the North-facing wall, there remains a faded fresco of St. Sebastian the martyr, which dates back to the original construction.

The Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary dates from 1499 and the side chapel was added around 1600. It had to be rebuilt after being burned down both in 1885 and in 1924. Today it is considered one of the most beautiful sacral baroque examples in the entire Venosta Valley. The church is open all year. Worship Sun 8.30 am in German

A church in Flaas is documented for the first time in 1237. The present church was built around 1500 and has a Romanesque predecessor with a half-round apse.

The Church of St. Nicholas was recorded for the first time in 1432. In 1840 a landslide seriously damaged the entire town and the church, which was rebuilt ten years later. Since St. Nicholas is the patron saint of travellers, one can assume that the old Venosta road was already used by the ancient Romans to reach Vezzano/Vezzan. The church is open all year. Worship Sun 8.30 am in German

St. Johannes' Parish Church in Lasa was erected around 1200 on the site of a previous church from the Carolingian period, as evidenced by a marble fragment dating from these times. The chaotic events surrounding the brutal Swabian War saw the Romanesque church burned down in 1499, although it witnessed a Gothic rebuild a few short years later. St. Johannes Parish Church has been damaged by fire on several occasions throughout its history, with the foundation walls and workpieces of the Romanesque apse only being rediscovered in the 1970s. These were then reconstructed true to the original style.

The East wall comprises three large blind arches that resemble the profile of a Romanesque basilica. Masterful animal sculptures can be viewed all around the apse, including depictions of a lion and a ram. The altar itself is furnished with a relief that dates from the Early Middle Ages and features St. Sisinnius, St. Alexander and St. Martyrius.

Worship Sat 7.30 pm, Sun 10 am (Winter Sat 6 pm, Sun 10 am)

 

The church and the Capuchin monastery in Silandro/Schlanders date back to 1644. The church is dedicated to St. John the Baptist and, on the main altar, there is a 17th century image portraying Christ's baptism.
Capuchin fathers lived in the monastery until May 2018, since June 2018 missionaries of St. Francis de Sales manage the monastery.

The church is open all year. Worship Sun 8 am, on workdays 9 am

Saint Nikolaus was bishop of Myra in the 4th century. He is valued as the Patron of the travelers and the hikers. The church is being mentioned the first time in the year 1369. The walls and the tower, however, seem to be built during the roman time. The choir and the portal have been built during the late gothic period (1493). Later on the church has been changed into the typical style of the baroque era. In 1899 a huge fire destructed most of the church, but has been rebuilt. The most precious piece in the church is the late-gothic Altar, probably deriving from the house of Hans Schnatterpeck.

The Church of St. Martin was, during the High Medieval period, the main church in the Central Venosta Valley. Legend has it that its area of jurisdiction extended from Prato allo Stelvio/Prad am Stilfserjoch past Ciardes/Tschars all the way to Vent, in the Ötztal Alps. In 1212, the church was handed over to the Teutonic Order. Of particular interest are a 15th Century polyptych, the baroque main altar and a swivelling eighteenth-century tabernacle.

The Church of the Sacred Spirit is a 14th century gothic construction, which, in 1499, was destroyed in a great fire and was subsequently rebuilt in 1514. The church is dedicated to the Holy Trinity and houses several frescos dating to the 13th and 16th centuries. The church of the Sacred Spirit is a typical construction of the period complete with portal, inset windows, marble cornerstones and choir stall.

The church can be visited as part of the art history tour, which takes place every Friday at 10 am from June to October. Booking is required.

Information & registration: Tourist Office Silandro-Lasa/Schlanders-Laas, +39 0473 730155

The little Church of St. Martin lies above Lasa on a small morainic hill. The church was documented for the first time in 1323 although its origin most probably precedes that date. The discovery of clay shards and glass dating from the Roman period, in addition to bronze sheets and other prehistoric remnants, would suggest that this once was an ancient settlement and place of worship.

The St. Valentine chapel in the Fraction Schlaneid was built upon request by the population in 1769 in a simple Baroque style. The ruins of the old Valentines church (exposed in 1990) are in the forest “Valteswald”  below the village. The altarpiece with the Bishop Valentin was made by Franz Unterberger from Cavalese. The Stations of the Cross were made in 1770 by Josef Sparer.

The Church of St. Ottilia was built in 1681 at the behest of Casper Perlinger. The Madonna and Baby Jesus can be seen on the large votive table together with Perlinger and his entire family. The church is of simple construction with an octagonal-shaped choir enclosure and barrel vault.

The Church of St. Nicholas is a late gothic construction presumably dating from around 1500. In 1786 the church was secularised, in line with the reforms instituted by Emperor Joseph II and there are no remaining traces of its original function. In 1984 the church was restored and today it is used to house exhibitions.

Die den beiden Apostelführern geweihte Kirche liegt gegenüber der Kapuzinerkirche und ist
ein Anbau des Ansitz Jöchlsthurn. Sie wurde von der Familie Jöchl erbaut, welche auch nach
damaliger Zeit selbst den Kaplan auswählten. Mit Aussterben der männlichen Linie wurde die
Kirche vom Hofgericht der Stadt übertragen. Die Erben der Familie Jöchl erhielten die Empore
zugesprochen, so dass sie der Messe beiwohnen konnten ohne sich unters Volk zu mischen.
Hierfür hatten sie sogar einen eigenen Zugang über das Wohnhaus. 1787 wurde die Kirche mit
dem schönen spätgotischen Flügelaltar des Tiroler Meister Friedrich Pacher von der Familie
Enzensberg, welche inzwischen Eigentümer des Jöchlsthurn war, zurückgekauft. Sie ist bis heute
im Privatbesitz und wie der Ansitz Jöchlsthurn selbst derzeit nicht zu besichtigen.

The church is dedicated to St. John the Baptist although it isn't possible to determine the year in which it was built with any degree of certainty. The 16th Century gothic polyptych, together with the 'versus populum' marble altar by the sculptor Karl Grasser, the magnificent window by Robert Scherer and the wooden figure of the Pietá are all of particular interest.

Worship Sat 7.30 pm, Sun 9.45 am in German language

St. Zeno Parish Church in Naturns A Romanesque chancel chapel is known to have stood on the site of the present-day parish church which dates from 1200. The older pre- Carolingian building was later incorporated to become the apse of the present-day Late Gothic church which is dedicate to St. Zeno, patron saint who protects against flooding and erstwhile Bishop of Verona. It was built between 1474 and 1475. The choir was re-built in Baroque style in 1760.

The "Joggila" chapel, located on the road to the church in Niederrasen, belongs to the older chapels in Rasen. The wayside shrine was probably built around 1723.

Revered as Guardian of the Crusaders, St. Oswald was the King of Northumberland/England in the 7th Century. Today, however,he is known as patron saint of the Peasants and the Poor, as well as of Water and the Weather. 800 years ago, the St. Oswald Church and its lands
formed part of the Welfen-Klosters-Weingarten in Baden-Württemberg.
The Gothic church was redesigned in 1433 and renovated in 1669. The 17th Century altars, altarpieces and frescoes are the work of Simon Ybertracher (1694 – 1772), a baroque painter from Naturno/Naturns. The relics of the Gothic fresco on the southern wall was discovered during the last restoration.