Churches & Monasteries in Vinschgau/Val Venosta

The picturesque Castelbello Castle, first mentioned in 1238, was built by the Lords of Montalban. Majestically, it is situated on a cliff on the left bank of the Adige River. Because of its exposed position, the castle had to be protected by strong fortifications, which needed to be remodernized over the years. In 1813 and 1824, the castle was largely destroyed by fire. The Counts of Hendl rebuilt only a small part for residential purposes. At the end of a protracted court process held over decades between Count Siegmund von Hendl and the Republic of Italy for the possession of the castle, eventually a settlement was reached. This allowed the State to acquire the castle. The Castelbello Castle is the cultural center of the village. In addition to permanent exhibitions in Spring and Autumn, alternating art exhibitions take place here.
The building of the chapel followed in the late 13th or early 14th cent. The walls contain a frieze with the Twelve Apostles as well as texts from the Confession of Faith. Because the apostles are turned towards one another in pairs, the quotations are alternately written in plain and inverted script.

Opening times
Guided castle tours from July 5th until September 11 | 10 a.m., 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., 3 p.m.
Closed on Monday
Spring exhibition by Hans Ebensberger from mid April to the begin of June
Autumn exhibition by Bruno Ritter from end of September to end of October

Erected in the 12th century, St. Mark’s Church – known colloquially as “St. Marx” – is located close to the parish church of Lasa and is considered one of the most beautiful Romanesque structures in South Tyrol despite lacking a bell tower.

The walls of this desecrated church consist of large stones hewn into even layers. St. Marx catches the eye on account of its exceptional height for the time at which it was built and its division into two storeys. The crypt was used for a number of centuries as a depot for storing bones, while fragments of frescoes have been revealed around the apse in the interior.

In the course of the Josephine church reform, St. Marx was desecrated and ultimately used for entirely different purposes. Following an extended period in which the church housed a workshop for the renowned Lasa stonemasonry school, the upper storey subsequently served as a rehearsal venue for the local brass band.

The church underwent a thorough restoration in 2000, which led to the discovery of long-forgotten fragments of valuable Gothic frescoes from around the year 1400.

Opening times:
closed, to be visit from the outside

Guided tours:
no guided tours

The St. Benedikt church of Mals was ercted in the 8th century A.D. Its Carolingian frescoes are among the earliest murals in central Europe. Originally, St. Benedict's did not have a tower; this was probably only built in the 12th century and therefore appears somewhat oversized. 
Without doubt, however, the two portraits of the founders are the most interesting. They show the Bishop of Chur and a Franconian landlord in traditional costume. This portrait is unique in Europe, as there is no comparable representation anywhere else. 

Opening hours summer 21.04.2025 - 31.10.2025:
Open to the public: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday from 10:00 - 11:30 am
Guided tours: Monday, Wednesday at 14:00, Friday at 10:00 (only in German language)
Prices: € 1.80 per person; with guided tour € 3.00 per person
Registration not required 

Opening hours winter 07.12.2024 - 15.03.2025:
Open: Saturday at 10:00 am
Price: € 1.80 per person
Registration not required 

Guided tours only in German or Italian language (Info: +39 0473 831190)

The church is closed on Sundays and public holidays.

The parish church of St. Dionysius in Morter was constructed in a gothic style, and was consecrated in 1479. The frescoes of painter Adrian Mair, which date back to the 17th century, are of particular interest, given that he hails from Laces himself.

The parish church of St. Lucius in Tiss in Coldrano was given its uniform gothic design back in 1491. Its gothic mural painting on the southern side of the church is worth a look, also the marble gravestone laid by Governor Franz Hendl.

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.

Both the delightful Baroque-style pilgrimage church, built in 1304 and expanded in 1765, and the nearby cemetery with its artistic graveyard crosses made of copper and bronze by local artists are well worth a visit. The village of Madonna di Senales/Unser Frau celebrated its 700th anniversary as a place of pilgrimage in the year 2004. It is, in fact, one of the oldest pilgrimage centres in the entire Tyrol region.

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.

The mystical Hill of Tartsch towers amidst the green valley of Upper Vinschgau Valley, surrounded by the villages of Glurns/ Glorenza, Matsch/ Mazia and Mals/ Malles. Due to its position as viewing platform, the schist drumlin was already settled in prehistoric times. In the 11th century A.D. the Romanesque St. Veit Church dedicated to St. Vitus was erected upon a pagan cult site. It is one of the few churches that were never restored and displays precious medieval murals.
The Romanesque frescoes, which unfortunately have only been preserved in a few places, are of great art-historical importance. The interior of the church has a wooden ceiling from the 16th century. 
Traces of fire can still be seen in some parts of the church. These date back to the Engadine War of 1499. 

The church S. Veit is open from June to October every Thursday at 5pm for the guided tours in German and Italian language (Info: +39 0473 831190).

St. Nicholas’s Church in Laces is a Romanesque church from the 14th century. Formerly it belonged to the monastery of Laces, now it belongs to the municipality of Laces. The remains of the frescoes by the southern front of the church, which portray the crucifixion of St. Nicholas and St. Christopher, are well worth a look.

Since 2017 it is exibition place of the menhir: the top and bottom parts as well parts of the left upper side of the 107 cm high, 77 cm wide and 12 cm thick stone are missing. It was probably originally located around where the current church stands on the hill and would thus have been visible from afar. As well as the iconic features common to all the male engraved stones from the Etsch valley group, such as scalloped belts, axes, daggers, clubs, bows, various decorative elements and fringed capes, elements are present that belong to the Lombardy group from Val Camonica and Valtellina, such as suns, deer and stylised male figure. Thus the Laces standing stone is great proof of the ancient connection of the Vinschgau and the Etsch valley and the valleys of north-eastern Lombardy.

The church is open daily from 09 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Marienberg Abbey above Burgeis/ Burgusio dates back to the 12th Century. The highest located Benedictine abbey in Europe is situated at an altitude of 1,340 m a.s.l., since 900 years monks live here according to the rules of Saint Benedict of Nursia. Today, the main hall displays impressions about the daily life of the monks marked by Benedict's credo ora et labora. The exhibition displays also beautiful paintings such as the Romanesque Crypt frescoe with its unique depiction of angels.

Special exhibitions:

- Marienberg in front of and behind the lens
- Maria

Guided Tours
All information about guided tours and timetables can be found at https://www.marienberg.it/en/museum/guided-tours.html.

The small pilgrimage church Unsere liebe Frau im Walde stands on the Schmelz, in middle of the wooded Martell Valley, where a mine is mentioned as early as 1448. This charming miners' chapel was donated in 1711 by the Counts Hendl from Kastelbell, sold in 1816 due to famine, extended with a tower in 1856 and rebuilt in Neo-Gothic style in 1894. Until after the Second World War, the people of Martell moved in procession from the parish church in the main village to the chapel on the Schmelz for the annual celebration of the church consecration. The day of patron saints is on first Sunday in July, around the Visitation of Mary (2nd July), with a field mass and sermon by the erratic block next to the church.

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

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 Vigilius/Blasiuskirche church in Morter is of pre-roman origin and it ranks among the oldest and most important religious buildings in the Venostaregion. Its "oriental" appearing architecture is particularly striking, while the consecration inscription reveals the year 1080. The church is one of the cultural centres of the “Stairway to Heaven” project.

The key can be collected from the hotel at MARTIN's in Morter 
+39 0473 742 049

Lovers of Gothic ought not to miss this gem. Not only the S. Leonardo's Church winged altar from the late 15th century, associated with the wood-carving studio of Hans Schnatterpeck, but also the unique frescoes, are worth seeing.

The castle chapel of St. Stephen in Morter, or the sistine chapel of the Venosta Valley as it is also known, dates back to 1487, and certainly does rank among one of the most remarkable churches in the Southern Tyrol. Although the tiny church appears simple and unassuming from the outside, the magnificent frescoes in the interior are an absolute must for those who are interested in art and culture.

Open every Friday + Saturday from 14.30-17.30 (April-October).

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

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 parish Church of the Assumption and the Chapel of St. Michael had to be rebuilt after the fire in 1499 and both were restored in neo-baroque style and consecrated in 1505. Around 1900, there were additional stylistic renovations in the 'Jugendstil' and the 90-meter bell tower is the tallest in the entire Tyrol. The church is open all year. Worship Sat 7 pm, Sun 8.30 am, 10 am, 7 pm

The old church is a simple building made by wild rocks between the tower and the sacristy. Its today`s shape dates back to the XIVth century and under the plaster of roof and walls were found frescos dated back the same period.

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

The Church of S. Ulrich was built in 1842, at the behest of the then parish priest, Martin Tappeiner and, on the altarpiece, there is an image of the Bishop of St. Ulrich.

With the miraculous great Lord of Agumes the Church of St. Georg, visible from a distance, it turned into a popular destination for pilgrimages.

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 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 Church of the Assumption is a modest little chapel that was probably built sometime during the 1860's and was refurbished in 1984.

St. Karpophorus Church in Tarres was taken over between 1212-1214 as a gift from Emperor Friedrich who was in possession of the German Order of Knights. The church tower, which was spared from being converted at a later stage, is probably the most beautiful of all of the structured roman towers in the Venosta region. The church forms part of the “Stairway to Heaven” project.

The church can be visited on request on Thursdays from 1.30 p.m. to 2.30 p.m.