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.
South Tyrol's churches and monasteries offer a glimpse into the region's rich cultural and religious heritage. From ancient Romanesque structures to charming mountain sanctuaries, each site boasts exquisite architecture, intricate frescoes, and serene surroundings. Whether it's the awe-inspiring Brixen Cathedral or the picturesque Novacella Abbey, these sacred places invite visitors to marvel at their historical significance and find moments of tranquility amidst South Tyrol's breathtaking landscapes.
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.
The church of St. James, located on a hill, was built in 1500 in late-Gothic style. The furnishings are predominately neo-Gothic.
In lieu of the parish chapel built in Widum itself under parish priest Paul Nardin, a free-standing and somewhat larger Widum chapel was built in the courtyard in 1869 under parish priest Johann Clauser. It is dedicated to St. John of Nepomuk. The parish with its vaults at ground level, flight of stairs to the 1st floor, and the window and doorframes made out of stone is one of the most ancient buildings in Auer/Ora. It was renovated and extended in an exemplary manner by parish priest Peter Paul Hofmann in 1992. In addition to the parish flat, it houses rooms for the church associations as well as small and large parish rooms.
The church of Saint Nicolaus was build in the 13th century and renewed in the 16. century.
The church St. Georg in Antholz Mittertal was rebuilt in 1798 to today's baroque church. It is assumed that Antholz Mittertal had already a church in the year 1000.
10 meditational spots are found along the side of the path until you reach the "Franziskus and Klara" chapel, the ruin from the Toblburg Castle.
The origins of the "Unsere liebe Frau" Sanctuary in Mörre/Mora just outside St. Leonhard/S. Leonardo can be traced back to a curious occurrence. Legend has it that village doctor and farmer, Matthias Pichler, purchased a votive image of the Virgin Mary from a street trader. Sometime later, in 1750 he decided to build a chapel on his property. Since word of Pichler’s ability to cure diseases and heal wounds was widely known, many came to him for help and also to see the image of the Virgin Mary. The growing number of needy visitors prompted Matthias Pichler to enlarge his chapel in 1752 and again in 1764. But as the miracles diminished in frequency, so did the number of pilgrims. This happened just at the time when Emperor Joseph II had decreed a program of enforced secularization and the chapel fell into disuse and eventually ruin.
In the mid-nineteenth century, a number of well-intentioned benefactors decided to renovate and further enlarge the church into the valued place of worship that it is today. An image of the Madonna was placed at the center of the new Baroque altar, inspired by a work of painter Giovanni Battista Salvi (known as "Sassoferrato"). Matthias Pichler was the first country doctor in the Passeiertal Valley to have been mentioned officially in the town records and his descendants followed in his footsteps. The country doctor could cure a variety of ailments afflicting both humans and animals and various treatments were administered, such as to stop haemorrhages. Many patients flocked to the doctor partly because of the scarcity of doctors and partly because the bad state of repair of the roads leading elsewhere. The first public pharmacy only opened in 1983 in the village of San Leonardo, serving the entire valley.
The two statues created by the sculptor Anton Ferner represent Saint Leonard and the canonised medical practitioner, Damian (1764).
The votive images are also noteworthy in themselves. Impressive and rich in detail, they express the gratitude of the population. Most of the votive paintings date back to the nineteenth century, one of which is the work of Josef Haller (1737-73). Among the best known of the late Baroque painters of Tyrol, together with sculptor Anton Ferner, Haller is one of the greatest exponents of the Passeiertal Valley School of Arts (his original work from 1768 is displayed at the MuseumPasseier museum).
So the ascent to Mörre from St. Martin is certainly worthwhile, to pray or meditate at the pilgrimage shrine, as well as to admire the works of local artists. Not least, there is the spectacular view of the valley below to enjoy.
According to a 6 m-long inscription preserved in the presbytery, this simple, rectangular church with round apse in the east, was consecrated on 12 May 1142. It was painted around 1210 with outstanding and historically important Romanesque frescoes, which, among other things, show the planned sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham against a mountain backdrop. After the incorporation of the tower in around 1380, the church was decorated with Gothic paintings inside and also externally on the south wall. A wooden statue of St. Jakob from 1520 which was revamped in 1610, and two Baroque altars on the west wall, can also be seen. Below the church there is a shrine with simple but expressive pictures from the period around 1440.
The parish church dedicated to the Assumption of Mary represents a monument to generous design.
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 Parish church of St. Sebastian is situated on a hill in Luttach/Lutago with a beautiful panoramic view. The chapel was constructed in the 13th century and then enlarged and on 21 September 1496 consecrated by Bishop Konrad Reichard. A external restoration has been taken in 1995.
[[For the "Gasthaus Hippolyt: https://gasthaus-hippolyt.it, Tel. 0039 0473 42 00 37]]
The St. Hippolyt church in the north of the municipality of Tisens/Tesimo, near the village of Völlan/Foiana and above Lana, dominates the hill of St. Hippolyt in Naraun/Narano, which is visible from afar.
This is not only a popular and easily accessible excursion site, whose panorama from the mountains of the Texelgruppe all the way down to Bolzano is second to none, but also an ancient settlement and cult site. Finds of Neolithic arrowheads, blades and mortars show that people were already living here in the 4th millennium BC, almost 6,000 years ago, making it one of the oldest prehistoric settlement sites in South Tyrol. There is also evidence of a prehistoric sanctuary on the hill.
The little church of St. Hippolyt was first mentioned in 1288, but is probably much older - not least because of its rare patron saint. Parts of the nave walls and the offset round apse still bear witness to the Romanesque church. The two pointed-arched slit windows and the likewise pointed-arched entrance door with rosette in the west were created during reconstruction work in the Gothic period. Towards the end of the 17th century, the tower was added (a votive picture from 1679 still shows the church without a tower, but with a choir bell wall). The bell was cast in 1566 by Simon Hofer and is thus the oldest surviving bell in the parish. The barrel vault in the nave was inserted in 1762 (see date on the triumphal arch).
Inside the church, the altar and the pulpit date from the 2nd half of the 17th century, the statues of St. Isidore and St. Roch, as well as the image of St. Hippolytus from the 2nd half of the 18th century.
As Saint Hippolyt is also venerated as the patron saint of the weather, ringing the bells in thunderstorms were once part of the duty of the sacristan of St. Hippolyt in Naraun. Due to the exposed location of the church, however, lightning strikes occurred time and again. Since the 17th century, no fewer than six deaths during weather ringing have been recorded in the parish's death register, which is why the little church was given the nickname "Zum bösen Segen" (to the evil blessing).
The church is only open on certain holidays. However, the hill offers a wonderful panoramic view all year round.
The path of reflection to the Luminous Rosary and in memory of Pope John Paul II, built in 2010, leads to the church. Six bronze reliefs with the mysteries of the Luminous Rosary and a portrait of the deceased Pope await the pilgrim on the way. They are works by the artist Robert Giovanazzi from Merano, which were realised by the art founders Stefan and Vinzenz Dirler, natives of Prissian/Prissiano.
The church of apostle Peter is situated on the mountainside, surrounded by farms, trees and meadows.
The church in Lapago is first-mentioned in 1426.
Already in 1480 it was re-consecrated after reconstruction.
1812-1815 the master-builder Johann Priller from Vandoies has built the new church.
The churchin S. Maurizio/St. Moritzen was builtin 1512.
Also if the chapel in Neunhäusern / Nove Case is situated on Rasner municipality, it belongs to the parish of Olang / Valdaora.
The church in Kematen in Taufers/Caminata di Tures was built on the end of the 13th century.
The Meizger-Stöckl, built in 1816, is a Mariahilf chapel in Antholz Niedertal.
A peasant chapel is located in Oberrasen near the court Oberstallerhof.
The castle chapel of Hocheppan with its roman frescos is one of the most important roman art monuments in South Tyrol. The centuries old frescos had been painted over and were only entirely laid open in 1926. Besides religious themes, the hunting scene on the exterior wall can be seen as one of the rarest profane depictions in Tyrol dating from this time period. The wall paintings originate from the first decade of the 13th century and show famous illustrations like the foolish virgins, the dumpling eater - the first proof for Tyrolean dumplings - and the picture of 'Maria Heimsuchung' which is well known far beyond the border of South Tyrol.
The church of Saint Sebastian at Plazzoles was rebuild in 1889/90, after the old church was totaly destroied by fire.
The chapel in the hamlet Obergoste is located at an altitude of 1328 m.
The parish church Riva-Rein was built 1908-1911. You can see the typical characteristics of the new gothic style.
This chapel of pilgrimage is situated on the southern slope of the Spinges mountain. Its simple construction dates back to 1641, and was built by the curate Georg Stocker. There is a painting in the chapel, depicting the scene of Jesus bidding the Virgin Mary farewell.
The church St. Walburg in Antholz Niedertal was built in the 15th century and expanded in 1954.
The St. Gertraud Church is documented the first time in 1383.
1831 the curate Johann Nepomuk Schiffer had built the new church. The gothic tower still exists.
The present parish church is one of the most beautiful baroque churches in the country, dedicated to John the Baptist and John the Evangelist and was built in the years 1783-1788.
In the 19th and the 20th centuries many Russians chose Merano to escape from the extremes of the Russian winter, and to receive medical treatment in a healthier climate. In 1897, therefore, the "Zarenbrunn" complex was opened to serve Russian visitors. The Orthodox Church, dedicated to Saint Nicholas the miracle worker, was built to the design of a local architect, Tobias Brenner, and was furnished with both Russian and local works. After a recent renovation, space has been allocated in the Church to conserve an interesting collection of magazines and books (mainly in Russian). A collection of photographs testifies to the golden years of the community in Merano. Opening times: from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the first and third Saturday of the month or by appointment. The Church is closed on holidays during the Easter and Christmas periods. Holy Mass is celebrated in the church on the first and third Sunday of the month.