Churches and monasteries

The church of St. Martin was mentioned for the first time 1380.

That poky chapel is the oldest in the valley and has been rehabilitated recently.

The Church of the Holy Heart of Jesus in Siebeneich was built in the years 1912-1913 according to the plans of Karl Atz, conservator of the imperial & royal monarchy of Austria-Hungary and beneficiary in Terlan. The solemn consecration took place on November 25, 1913 by Provost Alois Schlechtleitner from Bozen.
The church was restored a first time in 1956 and a second time in 1986. Little has been left of the original church furnishings. The cemetery was established in 1960. The eight-register organ with 560 pipes was built in 1984 by the organ builder Pirchner-Reinisch from Tyrol.
For the 100th anniversary, the church was restored inside and out.

Catholic service: every 2nd and 4th Saturday at 7 p.m. and on Sunday at 8.45 a.m.

The parish church "Our Lady in the Moss," located in the south of Sterzing, is considered one of the largest in the Alpine region. It is a late Gothic structure (choir 1417-1451, nave 1497-1524). White marble was used for the massive pillars inside. Significant is the winged altar by the Ulm master Hans Multscher (details in the nearby Multscher Museum) and many other artworks. Particularly richly decorated is the south portal of the church designed by Mattheis Stöberl, with a  commemorative inscription marking the laying of the foundation stone for the nave by Maximilian I in 1497. The Baroque frescoes date back to Adam Mölk and were completed in 1753.

Postumia Viktorina stone: Roman tombstone found in 1497 during excavations for the foundations of the parish church. It is now located inside the church on the north side.

The Parish Church of Mary Assumption (Maria Himmelfahrt) in Tisens was first mentioned in 1194 when it was a Roman church. During the 16th Century it was restructured in Gothic style. The high altar was built in 1896. In 1986 the church was renovated. Artefacts worth seeing are the glass paintings from the Augsburg School (around 1520), the family crypts of the counts, the baptism stone with a wooden structure and the Heart of Jesus painting from 1796. Next to this Parish church you find the Saint Michael's Chapel from the 15th Century with late-Gothic frescoes and an "Ossarium" in the basement.

The first stone was laid for this simple, typical construction of the Capuchin in 1636 and the Church was consecrated just one year later. The altarpieces, presumably realised by Josef Renzler in around 1800, are worthy of note: The Patron Saint Magdalene, together with St. Francis and St. Anthony, can be seen on the main altar, while St. Felix and St. Anthony of Padua are depicted on the lateral altars.

The Church of St. Margaret in Sterzing / Vipiteno was built between 1678 and 1680 in early baroque style, according to the design of Peter Delai. The bell tower, however, dates from a previous construction, which was cited as early as 1227. The altarpiece of the main altar, dedicated to the Patron Saint of the Church, St. Margaret, was realised by Josef Renzler in 1822.

In the year 1937 the construct of the building began, which should be consecrated to the holy cross. The finished place of worship was consecrated in 1950. The arrangement of the walls reminds of the strict forms of old basilicas. In 1962 the tower received five new bells. In the four large windows the mountain lecture, the sacrament of the baptism, the altar and the marriage and the Eucharistie are represented.

This small and cosy chapel was built in 1702 by order of the Commander Johann Jakob Count Thun. It was the second chapel, after the one in Klobenstein that was devoted to the Saint who was greatly revered by him. It is also the crowning conclusion of his building activities carried out at the manor of the Teutonic Order in Siebeneich which began in 1664. The altar with two columns and statues of St. John and St. Jacob, who are the patron saints of the Commander, is credited to the sculptor Cristoforo Benedetti from Castione.

The church of St. Martin is located in the homonymous place. St. Martin belongs to St. Johann/S. Giovanni. Aficionados consider it to be one of the best example of late Gothic church architecture. The church never had the function of a parish church, therefore there was no necessity for artistically redesigning.

On 15 October 1993, the consecration of the parish church Maria Hilf took place. The church district is in the east of new homes, in the north of the new school building and bandstand, in the west of historically valuable Count House (stand hunting Gasegg) and in the south west of the parish church "To our Lady of Loreto" and the "granary" as well as in the south of the old elementary school and private houses limited.

The first testimony of this gothic construction is dated 1577. In 1789 a barrel vault ceiling decorated with rough frescoes was built. The modern-day choir was added when the Church was enlarged, after damages caused by an avalanche in 1817.

Once upon a time on a hilly knoll in St. Valentin, a bull began to scratch and scrabble in the ground. It delved all day long without rest until a wanderer chanced along the way. As he came closer, he saw the crown of an enormous bell. The bell was then hung in the church of St. Valentin. And from that day on, the bell was known as "The St. Valentin bull", forever to be feared and hated by witches, as its toll dispels their storms. In Latzfons, further up and to the right in the Eisack valley, the following bell-tale is well known: In days gone by, the local people wanted to move the bell from St. Pauls to Kastelruth. Having failed to move it from its spot even with 40 pairs of oxen heaving, the bell suddenly began to speak: Maria Anna is my name The elements, my domain All the weathers I proclaim And in St. Paul´s I will remain. And there, indeed, she remained!

The foursquare chapel near the court Wirther in Rasun di Sopra dates back to the 16th century.

As you walk through the woody valley between Seis and St. Konstantin, all of a sudden the church tower of the St. Vigil chapel towers up before you. This unusual location for a House of God, first documented in the year 1260, is not only a matter of intrigue, but also the origin of countless myths and legends. The chapel was built on an old pagan cult site, during the course of Christianisation. One particular curiosity: At the beginning of spring, on the 21st of March, the shadow of the Schlern falls directly on the chapel for the last time until the 23rd of September, when it heralds the return of autumn.

The small church is dedicated to the holy Vigilius. Worth seeing are the altar from the early 16th century, as well as the figures and grotesque masks decorating the modillions.

The church St. Walburg in Antholz Niedertal was built in the 15th century and expanded in 1954.

In commemoration of the 175th anniversary of the struggle for the Liberation of Tyrol, the Company of traditional marksmen from Schabs, built the Chapel of the Sacred Heart in 1984. The chapel is located northwest of Schabs, on the way to Viums.

The church dedicated to the Holy Mother Maria (1244) stands in the center of the village with its tower covered with fine, red tiles.

The hospital church was donated by Heinrich von Annenberg. The original gothic construction's consolidation into one building dates back to 1470-1520. The church jewel is the winged altarpiece (1524), a precious work by the swabian master Jörg Lederer. A Heinrich von Annenberg foundation, amalgamated into a unified gothic building (1470-1520). The winged altarpiece by the swabian master Jörg Lederer (1524) bears masterly paintings on the reverse, presumably by Hans-Leonhard Schäuffelin. The white marble gothic portal is a work by Oswald Furter; the fresco cycles (Judgement Day, Works of Charity, The Whitsun Miracles, The Multiplication of Loaves etc.) from the 1st decade of the 17th century are by Adrian Mair, who also was born in Laces. Baroque side altars and organ dating back to 1741.

The curch is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m (march-november).

The octagonal building was built by Daniel von Elzenbaum, who was the administrator of the curacy of Sterzing. It was consecrated in 1631. A space arranged as a choir accommodates a simulacrum of the Holy Sepulchre, which is still opened and decorated every year for Easter.

Das Kreuzkirchl wurde 1692 von Peter Dellai erbaut. Im frühbarocken Zentralbau wurde die
Statue des leidenden Erlösers aufbewahrt. Die Kapelle konnte jedoch nur für kurze Zeit genutzt
werden. Sie fiel in der Zeit von 1780 bis 1790 wie viele weitere Sakralbauten den Reformen
Kaiser Josef II. von Habsburg zum Opfer. Nach 1925 nutzte die Sterzinger Bürgerschaft das Kreuzkirchl als Totenkapelle und während des Zweiten Weltkrieges wurde sie kurzfristig in ein
Lebensmitteldepot umfunktioniert.

The church of St. Medardus, also called "Sommadorn" by the natives, was built over a prehistoric holy spring. This spring, which originally flowed underground from the altar through the nave, was damaged by tunnel work for the "Zufritt" reservoir in Val Martello, and in consequence the spring dried up. The apse covered with flagstones is remarkable, as are the romanesque tower with rounded arch frieze and rounded arch window. Over the side portal are remains of a romanesque crucifixion group from the 13th century.

Viewing only possible on request:
+39 339 60 54 660 oder +39 342 87 78 380

The Saint Christoph Church, at the hill called "Vorbichl", was buil during the 13th Century. Today, only the tower with its double arch windows is still visible. The rest was restructured in 1603.

Old Joseph's Church

The old, small church was constructed in 1639 and dedicated to Saint Joseph. The tower was only added in 1865. This church is one of the oldest churches in Tyrol dedicated to Saint Joseph. The interior is arranged like a Capuchin church. The church was extended in 1845.
The church is not open for visitors.

Parish Church Saint Joseph the Worker

Because the old church became too small for the population in Vilpian in 1900, the community planned to build a new church. Due to the difficult financial situation and World War II, the construction of the new church only began in 1949; the bare brickwork was concluded in 1950, and finally in 1955 the church was consecrated. It is a modern, austere sacred building. Over the main altar, there is a life-size crucifix dating from the 17th century. It is an item on loan from the Meran Civic Theatre and is the most important piece of art in the church. The renowned painter Franz Lenhart from Meran painted the two adoring angels on the façade and the monogram of Jesus above the round window over the entry. The bell tower was not realized at the beginning, due to financial reasons. Only in October 1996, was the new tower constructed within a short period of time.

Catholic services: Sat. 7 pm (every 1st, 3rd and 5th saturday), Sun. 10.45 am (every 2nd and 4th)

At the foot of the sunny mountain side are located the courts Mairhöfe with the chapel Siebenter. The chapel was built in 1736 and renovated in 1913.

The church of Saint Sebastian at Plazzoles was rebuild in 1889/90, after the old church was totaly destroied by fire.

The church of Saint Nicolaus was build in the 13th century and renewed in the 16. century.

holy grave open to Easter the holy grave ist  uniquely in South Tyrol

You will soon find more information about the "Moarhansn"-Chapel here.

The Meizger-Stöckl, built in 1816, is a Mariahilf chapel in Antholz Niedertal.