Bezienswaardig Zuid-Tirol

The chapel of Saint Barbara stands behind the apse of the Cathedral of Saint Nicholas. It was consecrated in 1450 and was the mortuary chapel of the pre-existing cemetery. It is a Gothic building with an octagonal plan and a crypt below the lower floor. In the chapel there is an elegant stellar vault. On the left and right there are two elaborate Baroque wooden altars, painted to look like wood.

High up on a sunny slope, at 1,640 m a.s.l., is the small St. Moritz Kirche church. The Crusaders probably rested here, while on their way to the Val Venosta/Vinschgau Valley. Later, it served as a hospice for Church travelers on pilgrimages to Rome. Today, the St. Moritz Kirche is a popular hiking destination. Cultural fans, in particular, are attracted to views of the impressive fescoes from the 15th century. Also note the pointed arch portal, rebuilt in the late Gothic period, decorated with a simple stucco vault from the 17th century and the main altar with a picture of St. Moritz.

About 1300 the Boymont family built a small church on this spot and employed the chaplain Perdonig. From the 18th century onwards, the chaplain was resident here, and travelled back and forward to Perdonig. Today, a pensioned dean lives here and reads the mass. Architectural style: parts of the walls at the entrance, from the Romanesque, and wall frescoes in the apse in the eastern part have been preserved. The apse was renovated at a later date. You can also find Baroque red chalk inscriptions and two square windows that are set into an arch. The late Gothic tower has a pyramid shaped roof. The entrance in the eastern part was given a stone frame between 1645 and 1649. Peculiarities: the carved altar and the pictures and relieves from the 16th and 17th century are well worth seeing. The early Gothic gravestone of the Boymont family, which has been moved to the Bozen Town Museum, came from this church. Walking: if you walk to Paulser Aich, or from Eppan/Berg towards St Pauls, you will pass this beautiful little church. It can also be incorporated into walks to Perdonig or Boymont and Festenstein, Hocheppan and Schloss Korb (starting in St Pauls). An ideal starting point is the hotel and restaurant St Justinahof.

On the  "Europa-Besinnungsweg" you reach the little church St. Cyrill, which was first mentioned in a document in 1238. In the 17th century it became  a baroque church, but some medieval frescos are still preserved. These include representations of St. Christopher, St. Oswald, St. Mary MagdaleneMary with the child, St. Lawrence and St. Cyril of Thessaloniki.

The Romanesque church of St. Jacob on the Langfenn is located on the highest point of the plateau Salten (1525m). It stands on prehistoric ground and could probably tell exciting and captivating stories from the past . On the altar there are St. Jacob, the protector of the hikers, and the two patron saints of pest Rochus and Sebastian.

Quite exceptionally and thanks to the cooperation with the Parish of Central Churches in Bolzano, the Touring Club of Italy and the Bolzano Tourism Board, this tiny church opens the doors to the visitors. The late-Romanesque Church of St. Martin in Kampill, consecrated in 1180, boasts prestigious frescos of Bolzano's pictorial art.
During the special openings the loading zone on Via Innsbruck Straße is suspended. Due to the lack of pedestrian crossing, reaching the Church by public transport is recommended.

next to the parish church is the "Cappella del Santo Sepolcro" (Chapel of the Holy Sepulchre, 17th century), with lagre marble angels and fígures depiciting Jesus Christ

For a long time, the entire religious life of the valley revolved around the church of La Pli/Pieve Marebbe. Once the most important house of prayer in the valley, records state that since the appointment of one Marquardus as the first pastor in 1214, Marebbe has always had its own resident pastor. Records dating back to 1347 list the church as the "parish church of the Virgin Mary of Marebbe".

Today, it is a grand four-naved Baroque church with a particularly beautiful wooden high altar, skilfully carved in Renaissance style in 1636 – at a time when the Black Death raged through the valleys. The centre features a statue of St. Mary of Graces. Both for the population of the Badia valley and many pilgrims from the Pusteria valley, this picturesque temple remains a well-loved and much-visited place of pilgrimage.

Parish Church in Sesto/Sexten The parish church of St. Peter and St. Paul in Sesto will impress you with its artistic masterpiece, the “Danse Macabre”, carved at the entrance to the cemetery by the South Tyrolean sculptor Rudolf Stolz. Peter and Paulus Parish Church in Sesto/Sexten The church was constructed around 1824/26 and hosts altar sheets by the Venetian painter C. Dusi. Ceiling frescoes and the Stations of the Cross are a masterpiece by Albert Stolz. On the well looked-after cemetery, are not only the graveyards of Sesto mountaineers, but also wood and sandstone sculptures by South Tyrolean artists. The frescoes by the painter brothers Ignaz, Alber and Rudolf Stolz are very impressive, whereby Rudolf Stolz also realised the beautiful "danse macabre" at the entry to the cemetery. Furthermore, you can admire a baptismal font dating back to 1650, and the beautiful cemetery with arcades.

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

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 famos glass paintings were build from the Augsburg School around 1520

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)

Just like the innkeeper Georg Paprion from San Candido, also the innkeeper Johann Klettenhammer from Prato Drava, was a zealous pilgrim. Both lived around the same time, and like the outer church realised by Paprion, the Loreto Chapel realised by Klettenhammer also provides a testimony to Baroque devotion. The town of Loreto in Italy was a popular destination for pilgrims even in the 17th century, since drawings and paintings of its Chapel of Mercy can be found everywhere in Tyrol. Johann Klettenhammr brought back a copy of the miraculous image from his pilgrimage to Loreto, and constructed a chapel in the style and shape of the Chapel of Mercy - the Loreto Chapel - beside his house. The chapel was consecrated in 1650. It was struck by detritus carried by the flooding of the two rivers, the Mittereggerbach and the Mühlbach several times - the last time in 1965. For the inhabitants it was a miracle, that the chapel had never been destroyed by these miseries: hence, the Loreto Chapel became more and more of a destination for pilgrims. The fresco on the outside wall depicts the legendary transport of the house of the Sacred mother by angels to Loreto. Visiting times: daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

This church was first mentioned as long ago as 1166. It was rebuilt in 1251 and extended in around 1480, when the bell tower was built, of which after a fire only the lower saddle roof has been preserved. Today part of the old church serves as a chapel, and part as a vestry. The large bell, Annamaria, which weighs 3,163 kg and dates from 1847, is noteworthy. The new Pfarrkirche Maria Himmelfahrt parish church was consecrated in 1901. This neo Gothic place of worship with three naves was built to plans by the Viennese architect, Anton Weber. The main altar, the mosaic, side altars, wooden sculptures and four reliefs in the chancel are all worth seeing. 2002 saw the restoration of the pneumatic organ built by Josef Behmann in 1911, which is a protected monument. The sound of the church bells ringing even inspired Franz Liszt to compose “Ihr Glocken von Marling” (Bells of Marling). There is a replica of Marling parish church in Selsley, England.

Festivities:
S. Antonio da Padova: June 13 th
Francesco d’Assisi: October 4th

The first Franciscans came to Bolzano during the lifetime of S. Francesco, probably in 1221. In the framework of the reform guided by Bernardino of Siena a second propagation wave of the Franciscans took place. In this context the monastery foundations of Kaltern were built. Claudia de Medici, Provincial Princess of Tyrol and promoter of the Franciscan movement, donated the ruins of the Rottenburg to the Franciscans, which were destroyed at the beginning of the 15th century. Parts of the garden area for the construction of the church and monastery. At the beginning of the 18th century, the church was expanded to the present state. The image of St. Anthony of Padua on the right-hand side altar is of great importance for piety. The Antonius cycle in the cloister was painted in 1721 by Matthias Pußjäger.

Source: Parrish office Kaltern

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.

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.

Built in 1949/50, altar fresco of tungsten Koeberl from Innsbruck, Calvary of J. B. Oberkofler from 1960, the Madonna of the XVII century, the stained glass windows in the chapel of the dead Max Spielmann from Innsbruck, the rest of the church windows and the new organ of the company Felsberg from Chur. Categories: culture, Sacred art

The chapel was probably built 300 to 400 years ago by the farmers of Raffein. It is a simple, small building with a round apse, a shingled roof and a wooden bell tower. The altar bears a picture of the crucifixion of Christ, below is a picture of St. Mary Magdalene. She is also the patroness of the chapel. In the case of a death in Malsau and Raffein, the bell is rung.

The chapel in the smal village of Gschwell was built in the first half of the 17th century. A votive tablet from the year 1661 shows Gschwell with the chapel and in the text below it says that a farmer from the "landtschwellhof" was taken by "a bull on the horn". Inside there is a carved altar and a Madonna and two bishops.

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.                                          

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.

This modern church, which recalls the buildings of De Chirico, is located in Piazza Mazzini. Masses in Italian: weekdays (Monday to Saturday): 5:00 p.m. Wednesdays (bilingual mass): 5 p.m. Sunday: 10:30 a.m. & 6:00 p.m. Masses in German: Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays: 6:00 p.m. Wednesdays (bilingual mass): 5 p.m. Days preceding holidays: 6:30 p.m. Sundays and public holidays: 9:00 a.m.

The Franciscan Church was consecrated by the archbishop of Bressanone in 1697. The church is characterised by being back to basics, as the friar churches built during the Counter-Reformation clearly differ from traditional Collegiate Churches dedicated to belongings and culture through their simple and clear method of construction (planning: Franciscan friar Vitus Rastbichler from the Ötztal Valley). The Order's ideal of simplicity and poverty is reflected in the absence of a high bell tower and complex vaults and frescoes. After the entrance there's the small Chapel of Saint Anthony annexed to the nave destined for private meditation. The Fathers originally recited the choral prayers from the gallery. Not much of what distinguished the initial version of the church remains to be seen today, with the exception of the large oil paintings behind the side altars and the Franciscan saints on the southern wall. Today's altars are nice examples of Rococo art. The careful restoration works performed between 1992 and 1994 provided the Convent with its original appearance. The restoration project was awarded the Europa Nostra Prize in June, 1994. Visiting hours: daily (except Monday morning) 8 am - 6.30 pm

Baroque chapel at the eastern part of the town. The simple building with dome and lantern was built in 1713. The chapel of "Our Lady of Sorrows" in the eastern part of Laces is a baroque construction. The chapel can be visited during the summer months.  

Not far from the San Giuseppe (St. Joseph) Parish Church in Riomolino (Mühlbach) is the early Gothic church of St. Mary and the adjacent Maria Steinach Convent. These were built in 1241 by Countess Adelaide, the daughter of Alberto, Count of Tyrol. Legend has it that two doves appeared to show where the Countess should build the convent. During the reign of the Austrian Emperor Joseph II, the convent was closed. It was re-opened in 1848 by the Dominican Nun´s Order of Linz.

Already in the 13th century, there was a St. Mary’s church at Teis which, however, was destroyed by the heavy earthquake in 1471. The present-day neo-Gothic nave was completed in 1890 and consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The bell tower dates back to around 1500 and the great bell was cast at Innsbruck in 1734.