Churches and monasteries

The Church of St. Ulrich was mentioned in the archives as far back as 1164 and only its large Romanesque bell tower survived a devastating fire in 1400. The church was rebuilt in Gothic style
and consecrated in 1403. The two Baroque-era paintings by the famous Vinschgau Valley painter, Simon Ybertracher (1694 – 1772), are well worth seeing. The new Church of St. Monika was built next to the old St. Ulrich Parish Church, and is open to visitors during the day.

The church Maria of Loreto, a very well maintained, in 1700 accomodated in the present form of worship, was built by the owners of "Ahrner Handel". The church "The Black Madonna" is also visited by pilgrims today.

An unique group of holy buildings is standing on Mount Calvary, also called Kofel/Colle at Kastelruth/Castelrotto. From the village a path leads among porphyry rocks and beautiful nature. Several chapels line the pilgrimage, which ends at the Roman tower. The seven chapels show pictures of Jesus and his mother, the Mount of Olives, the scourging, crowning with thorns and the handwashing and the Entombment. (Nice walk - 20 minutes)

In 1843, in Untersirmian, the small Heart of Jesus church was built, which is the first of a  few churches, which were consecrated to the heart of Jesus. The simple building houses a Baroque altar from the 18th Century (1713). The tower was finished in 1857.

It is the Cathedral of the Bolzano Bozen- Bressanone Brixen Diocese. It conceals the remains of an early Christian, Medieval and Romanesque (1180) basilica. A hundred years later works are commenced to build a new imposing building which is completed around 1420 by combining the expertise of workers of Lombardy with the gothic style brought by the Swabian expertise over the decades. The bell tower stand over the square, 65 metres tall, with a spire in openwork in sandstone by the Swabian architect Hans Lutz von Schussenried, who completed it between 1501 and 1519. To see: the cross built in Veronese style, the "Wine door", the Romanesque Portal with porch lions, the rose window, the fresco "Virgin with child" credited to Friedrich Pacher, inside the gothic pulpit, the baroque Chapel of the Three Maries.

The church in St. Jakob in der Mahr was consecrated in 1428 to the patron of the pilgrims. On the inside, the artistic decor is remarkable: in the vault the lamb God, surrounded by 16 arms, such as Brixen, Kärnten, Austria and many local aristocratic families. The representation of the legend of Jakob in the choir is from the painter- school of Master Leonhard von Brixen.

Three small churches, the church of Saint Gertraud, Saint Nikolaus and Saint Magdalena, built in the 12th and 15th century in an incredibly beautiful location with a fantastic view over the Isarco Valley. Visitors will be surprised by the level of artistic skill of the late-Gothic frescoes. This location can only be reached on foot over beautiful paths. Ask for the key from the nearby Messner restaurant. Guided tours are available on request, please call +39 0471 650 059. Holy Mass: July and August Sunday at 10:30 clock (german). Open from March to Mid Novembre, winter closed.

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.

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 first chuch building, which was mentioned in 1180, didn't survive, but its Gothic elements were integrated in the current construction. Startin from 1431 the church was several times restored and consercrated again. The original choir, the ogive topped main entrance on the west side (with the original mason's mark) and the bell tower were preserved from the old building.

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

Built in the first years of the 20th Century and consecrated in 1904. In Possession of the Hotel Lago di Braies/Pragser Wildsee.

The Capuchin church and convent are located not far south of the Cathedral Square in Brixen/Bressanone. This is a simple and unadorned religious building with a small facade tower in the style of the mendicant churches. Inside, the nave is covered by a barrel vault. The strongly indented choir room just closes off. On the left side of the nave there is a round-arched side chapel which houses the organ. The interior has no wall paintings or stucco work.

The Church of St. John Nepomuk was built in the 17th century. It carries trains both the Renaissance and the Baroque and contains precious altars, statues and votive paintings, which recall the once flourishing pilgrimage here.

St. Jacob’s Church San Giacomo’s Church, dedicated to the patron saint of pilgrims and travellers, is traditionally known as the oldest church in Val Gardena: its origins date back to the 12th century. | It is located right above Ortisei, along the ancient path, “Troi Paian”. From Ortisei you can reach the idyllic , sunny hamlet comfortably by ski- or summer bus or by car. Here you are surrounded by nature and you can enjoy a breathtaking panoramic view. After a 15-minute walk (slightly uphill) you will arrive to the San Giacomo Church. Alternatively, you can start from Ortisei and take a slightly sloping trail (Path of Dialogue), which takes you to the San Giacomo Church in about an hour. Another beautiful circular walk connects S. Cristina (Plesdinaz) with the church. The current overall appearance is Gothic, and the inside is part Gothic and part Baroque. The church features remarkable frescoes (late 15th century) in the presbytery. Wall paintings from the 16th century, illustrating the legend of San Giacomo (St. James), decorate the area near the pulpit. The local wood-carving tradition is represented in the main altar. Around 1750 the Vinazer-Pescosta brothers decorated it with spiral columns, gilded images of ancient church leaders, apostles and angels. The current sculptures and artwork on the main altar are replicas made by local carvers. The originals are on display at the Val Gardena Museum in Ortisei.

GUIDED TOURS to the church weekly in Winter and Summer. Reservation and more details at the Tourist Office Ortisei.

The church St. Valentine dates back to 1303 and the nave as well as the bell tower are built in Romanesque style. Probably there was already a previous church at this position around 1090. While the majority of the frescoes inside the church date back to the 15th century, the oldest ones were painted in the 14th century. Exceptional is the Gothic winged altarpiece, an oeuvre by Hans Klocker from 1500.

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 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 church of St. James, located on a hill, was built in 1500 in late-Gothic style. The furnishings are predominately neo-Gothic.

A chapel dedicated to Santa Cristina existed here probably at the end of the 12th century. A Romanesque church was mentioned in a papal document in 1342. The bell tower walls, up to the roof eaves, date back to that period. The church was extensively altered and enlarged: the choir is in the Gothic style, and a polygonal ossuary was added in the 16th century. The main altar (1690, Vinazer dynasty of sculptors) is worth a visit. The bronze statue of St. Philomena by Dominik Mahlknecht, once in the ossuary, is now in the main sqare of S. Cristina.

The tiny church founded in 1744 by the mine owner, Michael von Jenner, is nestled in extraordinary countryside. The altar paintings by Franz Sebald Unterberger from the Fleim Valley are particullary noteworthy. The church is privately owned and the access is subject to a fee.
However, the church remains closed. 

Please do not enter the meadows surrounded by fence.

The late Gothic church of Colfosco, with the Sella Massif in the background, is a popular photo motif of the Dolomites.

The parish church of St. Vigil was first mentioned in 1419. In the following years it was restored and expanded several times.

Particularly interesting are the neo-Gothic lobby on the outer facade with a grooved and beveled pointed arch portal, the bulbous spire and the church altar. This dates from the late 19th century and is from the local artist Johann Valentin - Badia. In the middle niche of the altar there is an 18th century picture of the Virgin Mary and on the sides there are the statues of St. Vigilius and St. Kassian. For safety reasons, the valuable statue of St. Vigilius has been replaced with a copy.

North tower with 13th

-century bell-tower, set deep in the ground owing to flooding by the Schwarzenbach stream, dating back to
a Romanesque predecessor that itself replaced a medieval building. Work on the present-day nave began with the late-Gothic
choir polygon in 1475: the master builder was Peter von Ursel from Tramin. The nave was completed in 1526 under Hans Lutz of

Schussenried. The presbytery façade features sandstone corner blocks, triangular pilaster strips and decorated joints. The three-
bay nave is also divided by triangular pilaster strips. There is a monumental fresco of St. Christopher dating from 1516 on the

western façade. The porch, in Renaissance style, dates back to Pastor Josef a Porta from the year 1604.
Inside the church is an early-Baroque high altar from 1621 with an altarpiece by Theophil Polack. The side altar holds a high
altarpiece by Franz Sebald Unterberger that was once in the former Chapel of St. Barbara at Castelfeder. Of rarity value are the
iron tabernacle from 1609 and the Schwarzenbach organ from 1599, the oldest in South Tyrol.

The chapel was built in 1973 by the neighbors. It retains a statue of the Madonna of Lourdes from the parish church of Oberrasen / Rasun di Sopra.

Due to population growth, the little church of San Giacomo/St. Jakob had become far too small. So it became necessary to think about a new church in the centre of the village. The foundation stone was laid in 1951 and the church was completed in 1954. In 1964, ten years after its completion and opening, the church was consecrated by Bishop Josef Gargitter.

Built in 1735, at the site of a chapel dating from 1690. It is impressive because of the numerous frescoes and the pulpit with the inlayed Panels.

At an altitude of 1520m, Pietralba is the most significant place of pilgrimage in South Tyrol and among the region’s popular destinations, especially since the visit of Pope John Paul II in July 1988. Highlights include the large monastery and its collection of votive.

With a height of 82 meters, the church steeple in Castelrotto is not only the highest in the vicinity, it's also – they say – the one with the most-beautiful-sounding bells. But the big tower bell has always been the greatest source of pride. They never fail to admiringly mention "Big Bell." The citizens of neighboring villages were so incensed by this that the young fellows in nearby Laion finally decided to teach the boastful natives of Castelrotto a lesson…
The chapel in the church tower is open daily from 08:00 - 18:00.

High on a porphyry hill in Obersirmian stands the Saint Apollonia church. The little church, which was originally consecrated to Saint Pelagius, was built during the 12th and 13th Centuries on the grounds of an ancient settlement. It shows a stone-framed portal made around 1500. The Saint Apollonia church stands of a forested hill, which can be reached by car in only a few minutes via the Sirmianerstrasse. The location suggests that the little church was built in early times. The finding of a bronze bracelet refers to an early-historic settlement. The original Roman building was built around 1300 and contains a round apse with struts. The portal is stone-framed with an ogee arch, as well as a round bar. It should date back to the beginning of the 16th Century. The barrel in the longhouse and the groin vault in the choir stalls, reach back to the 17th Century. The niche in the wall with its small iron door was used as a sacrament corner. Saint Apollonia helps when you have toothache and for this reason, is presented with a pair of pliers. She is a symbol of martyrdom, as she went through the ordeal of having her teeth pulled out in a cruel way. The church keys are available at the Restaurant Apollonia, which is situated right below the hill.

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.