Kerken en kloosters

The saga of Weissenstein depicts the life of the religious farmer Leonhard. He was very ill and fell into a ravine. The Mother of God appeared to him and promised to safe him, if he built a chapel in her honor. The Mother of God told him: "So that you don't doubt my promise, i will leave you in this cave for nine more days and nights, without meat and drink. On the ninth day your family will find you. But don't forget my words!".

It happened how the Mother of God predicted, but Leonhard forgot to built the chapel and became ill again. From that moment on a light was shining where Leonhard fell in the cave and nobody had an explanation why. Leonhard eventually remembered his promise to the Mother of God. He quickly began to build the chapel and was then cured from his illness. When digging he found a little statue which represented the Mother of God. Leonhard continued to finish bulding and placed the statue in the chapel.

Soon after Maria Weissenstein became a popular place of pilgrimage. In 1787 the statue of the Mother of God was relocated to the church of Laives/Leifers.

To the north of Rechtenthal Castle lies the hamlet Söll whose church is dedicatet to St. Mauritius. The steeple with its paired round arch windows and its brick-built pyramidal roof dates back as far as the 13th century, whereas the church nave and décor are basically realized in Gothic style. Of particular interest is a fresco, unfortunately seriously damaged, depicting the church's patron saint in a cavalry battle. The same patron also features as the central charakter in the winged altarpiece. When leaving the church, you will notice an inscription on the outer wall, just above the small rectangular window. Written in Gothic minuscules it tells that the south annex of the sacred building was wewcted later, in 1470. Just below the church you can see a building that is architecturally very interesting. Its structure is well-proportioned and the elegant wrought iron window grilles aforning the upper floor bear witness of the centuries-old craftsmanship that was at work here. A little further uphill from the church another architectual gem is hiding: here you will come across a group of two or three picturesque old farmhouses, and on the archway of one of these you can still read the initials of one of its formers owners who perpetuated his name back in 1684.

The left nave is Romanesque. The high altar was built around 1520. The left side nave is Gothic. The altar there contains picture panels of Adam and Eve, probably from Bartlmä Dill Riemenschneider.

The church has been dedicated to Saint Anthony of Padua and was built aorund 1600 on the same spot where one stood the Wendelstein Castle of the Counts of Tirol. A majestic column by Felice Brusasorci (1600) rises above the main altar, showing an example of mannerism in the Capels of Saint Mary, Saint Sebastian and Saint John in the lateral chapel.

Little Chapel with view to the dolomites of Sesto / Sexten The San Antonio Chapel was built in 1930 and is located at Mitterberg / monte di mezzo. Sebastian Holzer and his wife Anna Mitteregger constructed this chapel around 1930 as a result of a vow that the wife should recover from a severe illness. The chapel was dedicated to S. Antonius from Padova.

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 chapel Floriani is located directly on the village square next to the church.

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 Franciscan order settles in town in 1221; the present building Dates back to the rist haf of the 14th century, but the original ceiling, flat and with a choir of polygonal shape, has been replaces by a vaulted ceiling from the 15th century. The coister is a beautiful example of gothic art, which replaces the Romanesque style in which the rest of the building was built; there are different frescoes from various periods of time, including some from Giotto's School and some from the 17th and 18th century. The church still preserves an astounding wooden altar by Hans Klocker of Brixen (painted Wood - 1500) which was dedicated to the Nativity Scene. The choir of the church is embellished by the modern glass panels of Widmoser.

The location of the chapel on the highest point of the San Silvestro Valley, has been identified as a prehistoric hillfort. Pre-christian sanctuaries were mostly build in such high located spots. It is therefore possible that also the San Silvestro Chapel was one of the pre-german shepherd's sacred places with a sacrificial altar.

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 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.

High above the entrance into the Val Gardena, to the north of Kastelruth and surrounded by meadows and forest, lies the hamlet of Tagusens. The little church dedicated to St Mary Magdalenen stands at the edge of the dispersed settlement on a distinctive rocky hill. Its position permits the conjecture that a cult site may have already been located here in pre-Christian times. The church building itself is from the Romanesque period and was presumably built in the 13th c., later modified in the Gothic style and finally adapted to the Baroque in 1667.

Already 1341 was there a chapel; It could be that the church of San Paolo was the first chuch of Rodengo. The church is closed and not possible to visit.

The parish church of Laives/Leifers – Where past and future meet

The parish church of Leifers is made of two parts, a historical one and a modern one. The historic part was first mentioned in 1286 and contains the miraculous image of Maria Weissenstein. Thanks to the former curate of Laives/Leifers, Johann von Kolb it is still possible to admire the statue. During the 70s there was already the intention of expanding the church. The Italian speaking community first wanted an own parsonage, but the bishop of that time was keen on reinforcing the connection between the two communities (Italian and German speaking), not separating them. Therefore, the decision to extend the already existing church has been made. The construction began in 2000 and ended 4 years later. The modern part has been christened in 2004. The form of the building is a symbol for acceptance, home, friendship and understanding and shows the way to an eternal home. As a sign for Christianity and resurrection, a triumphal cross has been put up over the altar. The different light inside the church symbolise Christ, who is the world’s light.

Located on the left bank of the Adige River in the direction of Val Venosta (Vinschgau) valley, there is an accumulation of rubble from Plars. The villages of Plars di Mezzo (Mitterplars) and Plars di Sopra (Oberplars) are found here, as well as the beautiful Late Gothic Church Sant'Ulrico, surrounded by orchards and vineyards. The church was first documented in 1493, although it was most likely built even earlier. At the time, the church belonged to the Bavarian monastery of St. Mang in Füssen. The external frescoes on the southern side of the church are particularly worth visiting.

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.

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.

The Holy Grave chapel is situated just below the road, which connects Waidbruck to Barbian, just near the Wohlaufhof (farmhouse). The chapel has a very simple baroque altar. This little chapel was probably built during the 17th century in connection with a crusade. This impression is strengthened by three road crosses, which can be found in the surrounding area. In 1701, the chapel underwent a renovation paid for by Mr. Leiter, the post master of Kollmann and was cleaned up again in 1983. Ask for the key from the nearby „Wohlaufhof“, tel. 0471 654 024

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.

The church of St. Martin is located in the homonymous place. St. Martin belongs to St. Johann/S. Giovanni. Aficionados consider it to be one of the best example of late Gothic church architecture. The church never had the function of a parish church, therefore there was no necessity for artistically redesigning.

During the 12th and 13th Centuries, this church was rebuilt in Roman style and again fully redesigned during the 16th Century. Since then, little has been changed. The Baroque high altar with the statues of Saint Franz Xaver and Johann Nepomuk was built around 1730 and redesigned in 1819. Apart from the four altars in the church, there are a number of valuable individual sculptures such as the late-Gothic Saint Sebastian and the Baroque Saint John the Baptist. The cross stations originate from the middle of the 18th Century. During the restoration work carried out in 1975, some beautiful old frescoes were discovered and the statues were skilfully restored. John’s chapel, which was extended toward the South-East, brought to light some very well kept frescoes from the 14th Century. These were found during the renovation work of the 80s. The frescoes show scenes from the legends about John and Pankraz, as well as the wise and the foolish virgins, the evangelists, angel choirs and other pictures of saints. Since the completion of the new parish church in 1931, it has been used for another purpose, rather than its originally intended goal. It has served as a store room and a practice room for the choir. In March 1981, the church was reopened and once more consecrated. Today, it offers a great framework for religious services and devotions in small circles and weddings. Just across the road, in the sexton’s house, there is a marble relief as part of a wall, which shows the coronation of Mary, which was created during the 14th Century.

The unique tabernacle is particularly interesting: the Cross is made from a grapevine. The key can be collected at the nearby Gasthof Lamm.

Lanegg Abbey and the Church of the Holy Cross occupy an imposing position on the mountainside. Lanegg Abbey is the cradle and mother house of the branch of the Sisters of the German Order that was revived here in 1841 after dying out during the Reformation.

In 1911/12, the Abbey was extended by the addition of the neo-Baroque-style Church. The altars and stations of the cross were produced in the workshop of Josef Obletter in Val Gardena.

Holy Mass:
Every day at 7.00 in german language

In the ancient documents it was also known as a "White Church" of Vandoies di Sopra/Obervintl, first mentioned in 1300. The church foundation is the only part preserved of the ancient Romansque building. The modern church, built in the late 15th century, is an example of the Gothic style The Renaissance paintings on the ceiling were made during the restoration works in 1891.

The parish church of St. Michael in Tarres was first mentioned back in 1214. The roman frescoes are especially worth a look, as are the sumptuous altar decorations, which date back to different periods.

Built in the 13th century, with numerous frescoes dating back to the 15th century. Contemorary round shaped church annex exists since 1975. The grace stones of the nobles, tax collectors and keepers in the church wall are worth seeing.

The church of St. John in Niederrasen is already mentioned in 1070. Today's church was built in 1822 (late baroque).

The parish church of St. Magdalena used to be a small chapel that was integrated into a castle. The chapel was built in 1304 and dedicated to St. Mary Loreto. In 1797 the chapel had some modifications, such as the construction of a tower and the extension of the chapel to a church. In 1804 the patronage of the church was transferred to St. Magdalena.

A church in Flaas is documented for the first time in 1237. The present church was built around 1500 and has a Romanesque predecessor with a half-round apse.

The Holy Cross Chapel is a mountain chapel on Resciesa near Laion/Lajen. The little church was built in 1755 and has been preserved until today. The last restoration took place in 2012 by the rifle company Laion and since then the chapel has been protected as an architectural monument. Inside the church there is a large crucifix that dates back to the first half of the 18th century. In summer, the chapel is always open to visitors during the day.