Churches and monasteries

The parish church in Valdaora di Sotto is one of the oldest of the occident. As district from other churches in the surroundings the mother parish church was able to preserve the baroque equipment.

The church was built in the 14th century, but was extensively rebuilt in the 17th century. From this time date the today's doors, the round arch windows as well as the barrel vault originate. The 18th-century side statues depict St. Joseph and St. Anne. Outside, on the south wall, there is a Pietà (1916), and on the tower is a fragment of a Christopher from the 15th century.

The Rio di Lagundo (Aschbach) district is separated from the rest of the city. It is located on Mount Tramontana (Nörderberg) in Val Venosta (Vinschgau) valley, forming a small enclave between the towns of Parcines (Partschins) and Plaus. Rio Lagundo can be reached by cable car and of course also by car. Particularly worth visiting is the Maria della Neve Church (Our Lady of Snow) and the Santissimo Cuore di Gesù (Sacred Heart of Jesus). The small Maria della Neve Church was built in 1695 and stands on top of a hill. In 1889, a larger church was built and dedicated to the Santissimo Cuore di Gesù (Sacred Heart of Jesus).

The year of construction of the first church is uncertain, but certainly in the year 1490 it was destroyed by a landslide that destroyed a large part of the village. 1492 another church was rebuilt. Over the centuries this church changed style several times and was also enlarged. In recent times the altar has been modernized with works from the artists Mellauner y Promberger. The church can be visited all year round.

The most beautiful baroque church of the Pusteria Valley, built on the foundations of a Roman and later Gothic church. Rudolf Schraffl, an architect from Dobbiaco, was commissioned to plan and oversee the consturuction works. The bell Tower, situated North-west of the main nave, was completed in 1804.

Patronal feast: June 26th

The church has been dedicated to the diocesan patron Vigilius of Trento and is a new building from 1491, in 1497 the vault was withdrawn. The tower belongs to the 14th century, on its north side are remains of a Christophorus picture from 1360/80, the “Kummernusbild” on the west side has been realized around 1420.

Source: Parrish office Kaltern

The old church of St. Michael | Eppan is located on the St. Michaels square next to the church "Maria Heimsuchung".

The fi rst written testimony of the Holy Cross Parish in Wiesen is dated 1337. The Church is said to have been reconsecrated in 1434. The frescoes on the vaulted ceiling by Josef Renzler, dated 1841, are worthy of note. The first written testimony of the Holy Cross Parish in Wiesen is dated 1337. The Church is said to have been reconsecrated in 1434. Today's construction in granite blocks was built with the supervision of builder Adam Schaiter of Sterzing, who combined late gothic and Renaissance elements. In the XIX century, the Church was nevertheless deprived of the gothic elements. The frescoes on the vaulted ceiling by Josef Renzler, dated 1841, are worthy of note. They depict the adoration of the cross by the Emperor Eraclius and St. Cecilia. The altars date from the XVI century, but were rebuilt in 1824. The alterpieces were also realised by Josef Renzler in 1827. The gothic crucifixion dating from the first half of the XIII century is also very important.

This irregular building shows that the church was built in different periods, from the 13th to the 16th century. In the church stands the famous "Madonna with the infant Jesus holding grapes" by Michael Pacher. In the attached Egererkapelle, frescos from the Michael Pacher school.

The St. Jacob Church was built in a location that already in pre-Christian times was a place of worship. Today’s late Baroque church since 1775 covers a Romanic chapel and a Gothic church. The Madonna on the high altar and the three female figures on the southern side altar date from the Gothic period.

Patronal feast: August 16th

The church was built around 1516 as a votive chapel as to thank for having  escaped the plague.

Source: Parrish office Kaltern

The parish church of Barbian is consecrated to St. Jacobs the Elder and was first mentioned in 1378. The shapes of the windows of the leaning tower are evidence to an even earlier time. Its octagonal top was added during the 15th Century. During this time, the church was renovated and once more consecrated in 1472. In 1874, the nave was re-designed and received in a new-roman form. The vestry, which serves as choir stalls, is the only part left, to represent the old gothic buildings. On the inside of the church, on the main altar, there is a copy of the famous crucifixion group by Wechselburg, as well as 12 glass windows representing the apostles, a rosette window just above the main entrance and several wooden sculptures from the 16th and 17th Centuries.

Open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Holy Mass: To Sunday 03/16/2014 at 10.00 clock, alternately at 8:00 clock (german) and Saturday at 19:30 clock (german).

Consecrated in 1180, the small church is Bolzano/Bozen's pride and joy. The simple central architecture is enriched by the beautiful bell Tower with mullioned Windows with two and three lights from the early years of the 14th century. The interior artwork is splendid: artists from Giotto's "vagabond" movement introduced a new plastic style and an astounding fresco technique, which reveal extraordinary interpretative and artistic capabilities. For information and guided tours please ask the Tourism Board (Via Alto Adige - Südtiroler Straße 60).

The Brixen Poor Clares Monastery was already founded during the lifetime of St. Clare.
There is no documents about the foundation itself and where the first sisters came from. The oldest written document is a letter of liberty from the Prince-Bishop of Bressanone, Henry IV, dated May 10, 1235, in which the monastery and the newly built church in honour of the Virgin Mary and St. Francis were freed from all secular and spiritual judicial constraints.

The church of St. Elisabeth was originally a romanesque church, which was rebuilt in the 15th century into a gothic church and then in the 17th century into a baroque church. At the entrance portal there is a crucifixion scene and the coronation scene of Mary with the Franciscan saints (St. John of Capristan, St. Bernardine of Siena, St. James of the Mark, St. Elizabeth, St. Clare and St. Agnes). The interior is indented with a groined vault above which the Sisters' Choir is located. The choir of nuns, which is located above the vault, is under strict enclosure. Behind the choir stalls there is a small "chair" for each sister, which is individually decorated with devotional objects and pictures.

The walls of the presbytery show scenes from the life and work of St. Elisabeth of Thuringia (left: Rose miracle and the banishment from the Wartburg; right: death and burial of the saint). The high altar is a niche construction with four columns and a volute gable (by Peter Passler from Neustift). The picture shows the alms donation of St. Elisabeth. It is flanked by St. Francis and St. Clare. While the left side altar shows a scene of shepherd adoration, the right side altar picture shows Joachim, Anna and little Mary.

Since the second century, there is a church on the hill in S. Valburga / St. Walburg. It is believed that their location dates back to an even earlier sanctuary. The tower and apse are Romanesque in style and date back to the 12th century. At the end of the 15th century, the windows were raised and equipped with pointed arches, which enlarged the formerly round apse and transformed it into a Gothic presbytery. In 1840 the nave was extended, in 1867 the bells were renewed. The high altarpiece represents Saint Walburg, the two side altars are dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mary. Above the bow you can see a painting by Peter Fellin from Meran. From the same painter are also the murals of the patron saint of St. Walburg and those of her uncle, St. Boniface. Legend has it that the church has been relocated to the center of the village time and time again, but Saint Walburg has always returned to its hilltop location.

The construction of this sacral building in the Gothic style goes back to the apparition of the Mother of God in 1858 in Lourdes to Bernadette, who was later canonized. As a result of the numerous pilgrimages to the now world-famous place of pilgrimage, churches and chapels were consecrated to the Mother of God of Lourdes in many places at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century.

The Parish Church of Saints Peter and Paul – A Testament to History and Faith

The Parish Church of Saints Peter and Paul, formerly known as the Church of Saint Nicholas, is a significant cultural and religious landmark deeply rooted in the history of Parcines. Its first documented mention dates back to 1264, though its origins are even older. Around 1502, the church was renovated in late Gothic style, giving it the distinctive character it retains to this day.

The Origins of the Church of Saint Nicholas

The original church, built around the 10th century, was constructed on the foundations of a small early Christian chapel. This chapel was oriented east-west and built in Romanesque style with square marble blocks. It was dedicated to Saint Nicholas, venerated as the patron saint of sailors and merchants. The oldest parts of this structure now serve as a crypt and mortuary. The current sacristy, dating back to the 14th century, is another surviving element of the historical building.

Expansions and Transformations Over the Centuries

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the church underwent significant expansion to accommodate a growing community. In the 18th century, new monumental altars were added, forming the artistic and spiritual centerpiece of the church. The high altar is an impressive depiction of saints: Saint Nicholas is shown at the top, with Peter and Paul below him. On the sides, statues of Saint Valentine and Saint Vigilius complete the ensemble.

The side altars are dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Sorrowful Mother, reflecting the community's deep Marian devotion. The majestic pulpit, a relatively recent addition, was installed only about 110 years ago and blends harmoniously with the church's historical setting.

The Chapel of Our Lady and Its Artistic Treasures

Particularly noteworthy is the side chapel dedicated to Our Lady, known as "Our Blessed Lady," built around 1350. Inside, it houses the magnificent Marian altar, symbolizing the beauty and reverence of Marian devotion. Another treasure of the chapel is the angel from the plague altar, a symbol of hope and healing in times of hardship.

An extraordinary masterpiece is the sculpture group of the Death of the Virgin by Jörg Lederer († 1550) of Kaufbeuren. This valuable artwork, preserved in the presbytery, is the only surviving element of the original late Gothic high altar. The meticulous attention to detail and emotional expression of the figures make it an outstanding example of late Gothic art.

The famos glass paintings were build from the Augsburg School around 1520

The church of San Silvestro/Wahlen is devoted to St.Nicolas, patron saint against flooding and avalanches. The church was bulit in the 16th century. 

A church in Wahlen was first mentioned in a document around 1258. Certainly in the 15th century, but probably already in the 14th century, there was a little church dedicated to St. Nicholas in Wahlen. According to the inscription on the choir vault, the Gothic church of St. Nicholas in Wahlen with its rich net vault and beautiful portals was newly built in 1512 by the master builder Andre Firtaler from San Candido.                                          

This church was probably built between 1220 and 1225. It is dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. It has been very much altered over time and in 1510 was enlarged in the Gothic style. The tower, which is not very tall, was probably first erected in 1300 and shows signs of the coming Gothic style, as do the slightly pointed tower windows. The tower was not extended in 1510 and so today makes rather a modest impression

The local parish priest, Anton Martin Schenk, had the Santissima Trinità (Church of the Holy Trinity) built in the Velloi (Vellau) district in 1742. The church soon became too small for the growing population of the village and was extended by local peasants, completed between 1894 and 1895. Only then Velloi could accommodate its priest for the first time. The latest restoration of the small church was in 1975.

Today's Parish Church in Tscherms/Cermes was consecrated in 1270. The church tower still dates from this period, whilst the church itself was rebuilt in 1928/29 and furnished with altars and murals.

Holy Mass:
Saturday at 18.30 (in summer at 19.00) in german language
Sunday at 9.00 in german language

Calvary was laid out by the Order of the Capucin monks near Bozen. After this, most other brother houses of the Order did the same, and this included Eppan. At the end of this pathway the Gleif Church was built in 1716. Each station of the cross took time to erect and several figures were finished in the 19th century. Architectural style: the church was built in the middle of the 18th century as the graveyard church at the end of the pilgrimage path. The two domed towers of the Renaissance building give it an impressive appearance. With all its inside decorations, it is definitely worth a visit. Extras: the view of Eppan from here is worth the walk. Walking: the easy walk to the Gleif Church is part of nearly everyone's holiday programme, but can also be combined with the Ice Holes, Matschatsch, Kem Ravine, the Mendel or the Gantkofel.

Teh church is from the 19th century and the tower is from the 15th century

Most of the sacred buildings are bound on legends, like the parish church in Sorafurcia. A bear shall have attacked the Arndt farmer whereon he built a church.

The church contains a neo-Gothic altar. The cementery is the last home of the famous Alpinist Viktor Wolf Edler von Glanvell.

Romanesque St. Michael’s church of the 11th century, Gothic choir loft and the „Weißer Turm“ (White Tower, 72 m) dating from the 15th century, hall church of the late Gothic around 1500, after 1750 redesigned in a baroque manner with frescoes by Josef Hautzinger, Troger’s apprentice from Vienna, altars of the Baroque, Classicism and Romanticism. Famous sculpture of Simon, the „Kreuzträger“.

The holy Apostle Andreas is the parish church in Ratschingstal/Val Racines consecrated. It was first mentioned in 1326, and about 400 years later, a complex reconstruction took place in which a round choir and barrel vault were created. The form remained the same despite various renovations, and so in 2004 the 250th anniversary of the local church was solemnly celebrated.

The new parish church of Marein was designed in 1973 by the Bolzano architectural partnership Abram&Schnabl as a "house among houses". The tower was not added until 1982.