Kostely a kláštery

The Sacred Heart of Jesus Church was built by Tanas between 1895 and 1897 in neo-romantic style and the sculptures are the work of Anton Santifaller. On the main altar, there are the Madonna and St. Joseph, in adoration of the Heart of Jesus. Worship Sunday 8.30 am in German

The parish church at Lana was built on the sites of a much older Romanesque church and consecrated in 1492. Of particular interest ist the Gothic altar by Hans Schnatterpeck. It has carved figures, some in life size; the altar reaches a height of 14.10 m; it is the largest Gothic altar in the whole Alpine area.

The parish church of Niederlana is among the most beautiful examples of South Tyrolean Late Gothic art. Its magnificent winged altar by Hans Schnatterpeck is known far beyond the borders of the country.

The Schnatterpeck altar is 14 m high and 7 m wide and is thus considered to be the largest winged altar in the Alps. It is carved from chestnut wood and elaborately gilded. The altarpiece was created at the beginning of the 16th century over a period of 8 years by the Swabian sculptor Hans Schnatterpeck and his journeyman. The altar was paid for by the citizens of Lana (approx. 800 people) themselves. Schnatterpeck received 1,600 Rhenish Gulden (i.e. the value of 3 farms) and 8 cartloads of wine.

The carved representation of biblical content contains a rare depiction of the Throne of Grace (God the Father holding the body of Christ on his lap), flanked by the life-sized statues of the apostles Peter and Paul. After carving, the altar was painted by Schnatterpeck and his journeyman and finally decorated with ducat gold. The altar was raised and consecrated around 1511 in the parish church of Niederlana and has never been removed, not even during the World Wars.

Holy Mass:
Friday at 19.00 in german language
Sunday at 10.00 in german language

Information and registration for groups:
Email: gruber.ida@alice.it or Mobil +39 333 434 259 6

The church is only open during guided tours!

During the fasting period, the altar remains closed!

The church in Ahornach/Acereto is a wonderful example of the late gothic style in the Pustertal Valley. The stonecutter Valentin Winkler from Falzes had built the church in 1512.

St. Prokulus Church: This delightful little church was built in the first half of the VII century and houses the oldest frescoes in the German-speaking area of Europe. All the inside walls and the south-facing outside wall were covered in frescoes towards the end of the XIV century. The pre-Carolingian frescoes inside the building were not revealed until 1923.

In 2022, on the initiative of the meditation group of La Val, and under the direction of labyrinth expert Gernot Candolini, a labyrinth was built in the centre of the area occupied by the former church of San Genesio. It is a simple Gothic labyrinth, consisting of five paths traced with brook stones. Many things here in Dlijia vedla remind us of the transience of life: the remains walls of the old church, the abandoned cemetery.

Memento mori - Memento vivere!

Everything passes quickly, and the moment never stops. So be shrewd and aware, enjoy the view, feel the hope that lurks in life, let yourself be inspired and blessed by goodness and change.

"This place here is a place of power, you must make use of it" Dr. Karl Gruber, Regional Conservator

                                

South-west of Kastelruth, below the Laranzer Forest, lies the hamlet of St Oswald, named after the patron saint of its church. The landmark of the church´s high tower can be seen from a great distance. The church is mentioned for the first time in a historical document from 1234, which was produced on the occasion of an exchange of estates between the Benedictine monastery at Georgenberg and Count Albert III of Tyrol. However, it had probably already been built in the 11th c. One piece of evidence for this is the choice of its patron saint, because the cult of St Oswald of North Umbria spread through Europe before and during the period of the Crusades.

The churchin S. Maurizio/St. Moritzen was builtin 1512.

The parish church Riva-Rein was built 1908-1911. You can see the typical characteristics of the new gothic style.

Less than two years under construction, a new church was consecrated
by Bishop Ivo Muser on 27th August 2017, to coincide with St. Monika’s
Day. The new church follows a very simple layout. After literally crossing
through an oversized marble cross at the entrance, the first thing you see
is a coloured light falling on the altar through the dome. The new church is
well worth a visit.

The church in Kematen in Taufers/Caminata di Tures was built on the end of the 13th century.

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 little church of St. Catherine & St. Florian was built in 1839.

The parish church of Nova Ponente, a Gothic building dating from the 15th century, has an impressively beautiful sandstone cladding. The inscription in the choir vault gives its date of origin: the cornerstone was laid on 5 July 1455 by Pastor Johannes Steel. Below the inscription is the coat of arms of the Diocese of Trento with the eagle, along with that of the then Bishop Georg Hack with its thin branch, also chosen as the heraldic symbol of the municipality of Nova Ponente.

The building was completed in sections, as suggested by the differences in the foundations and the sandstone cladding. Construction work was not completed until 1498, with the church consecrated on 16 September of the same year. In order to imagine it in its pure and original form, the new sacristy at the northeast corner and the organ loft with its outside staircase must be ignored. The interior of the church was vastly improved by the most recent renovation in the summer of 1975. The two neo-Gothic altars date from 1900, with a new organ installed in 1976.

Of particular note in the church are the four old relief panels on the high altar, showing the Nativity, the Adoration of the Magi, the Presentation at the Temple and the Death of the Virgin. The panels are from a famous large triptych, created around 1420 by the Master Hans von Judenburg for Bolzano’s Parish Church, as was the group of the Visitation on the wall of the choir. The main figures on the high altar – Our Lady of the Rosary and the church’s two patron saints - are beautiful works by the Innsbruck sculptor Dominikus Trenkwalder from around 1900. The relief figures of St. Barbara and St. Catherine as well as the relief panel of the Visitation, also on the choir walls, date back to around 1500. The sandstone pulpit from the early 16th century is held by Karl Atz in his “History of Art from Tyrol and Vorarlberg” to be one of the most beautiful of its kind in the entire land.

Old relief medallions of the mysteries of the rosary are inserted into the neo-Gothic rosary altar; the altarpiece was created by Franz Unterberger. Franz Haider’s beautiful nativity figures can be seen at Christmastime on this altar: his figurines and statues of saints are to be found throughout the Reggelberg area and he was a long-time resident of Monte San Pietro. The bell tower is for the most part much older than the present-day church. It dates back to the Romanesque era; inside can clearly be seen two rows of coupled arched windows that were later walled up. The tower formerly belonged to the old parish church of St. Benedict, documented as early as 1265. Today’s cupola was added in 1793 after lightning badly damaged both the tower and the church roof.

Another special feature of the church is that the pews have brass plaques, some with a rune-like mark next to the occupant’s name. These are the old house and farm marks of Nova Ponente. Each farm would use its mark to identify tools, grain sacks, logs and the like that were offered for sale. Many such marks can also be seen painted with red ochre on the outer walls of the church, now faded on account of the wind and rain. The impressive war memorial (1967) on the northern wall of the cemetery is by the South Tyrolean sculptor Martin Rainer, who was in 1976 awarded the Walther von der Vogelweide prize.

The current parish church was dedicated in May 1967 after a 2-year construction phase. It is a modern church with a low aisle under a sharp, gabled roof. The parish tower (37 m high) is a testimony to the oldest building activity in the village. The foundation dates back to the 13th century. In 1741, it was renovated from the belfry upward. The tower was given its octagonal center and its onion dome in 1741.

Pastor Heinrich Videsott was born on July 3, 1912 in Mantana near Brunico and died on December 9, 1999 in La Val. Pastor Videsott particularly stood out for his spiritual charisma, his deep piety and great compassion. He showed an unlimited willingness to help and was an ambassador of the goodness and love of God.

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.

Parish church St. Genesius.                                            

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 chapel is consecrated to the saints Rochus and Sebastian and owes its existence to an oath which the people of Nova Levante made during the plague in 1635/36. However, the chapel was only built between 1662 and 1666 and inaugurated in 1697. The long space of time between the oath and the chapel's completion was due to the fact that the people of Nova Levante were in disagreement over the location. The chapel is a building with a round apse, barrel vault and low-arch windows. Inside, there are several altars, the pulpit, sculptures and paintings - Baroque works from the 17th Century.
The chapel is not open to the public. The key for the chapel is available at the Romantikhotel Post Weisses Rössl in Nova Levante.

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.

First mentioned in 1347, elements of the Tyrolean late Gothic (1488) are still preserved in the polygonal choir end, as well as in the sound windows of the tower. Around 1840 the church was extended by one bay, regotized, the same happened again in 1952 under architect Erich Pattis and carpenter Josef Pattis. The altar-pieces are by K. Jele from Ried in the Upper Inn Valley (1814 1893) and depict on the main altar the Penitent Magdalene, and on the side altars the Bishop Sylvester with the martyr Sebastian, then Joachim and Anna with the Child in the Nazarene style in a clear position. On the main altar of St. John the Baptist, wooden sculptures by Franz Xaver Nißl. Stations of the Cross panel by Maria Delago (1953). In the apse, paintings from the life of St. Magdalene by the priest painter Johann Bapt. Oberkofler. On the east side a wrought-iron cross points to the witness of the resistance against the Nazi regime. This is the Jesuit priest Johann Steinmair (1890-1944), who became a blood witness of Christ by beheading in Berlin-Brandenburg. The chapel of the dead in the cemetery area: It serves as a memorial for the victims of the two world wars, for Reverend Peter Agreiter (1911 1948) and as a place of devotion for the Lourdes pilgrims.

The parish church dedicated to the Assumption of Mary represents a monument to generous design.

St Anne´s Chapel was built on a slab of rock south of the middle of Kastelruth. This High Baroque structure was consecrated in 1724 by Kaspar Ignaz von Künigl, Prince- Bishop of Brixen. The question of who served as master builder remains unresolved, but there are stylistic similarities to church buildings by the Delai family of master builders from bolzano.

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.

The Chapel of St. Helena is particularly impressive on account of its rich frescoes, a major work of the Bolzano school of painting from around 1400. Art historians state that these are closely related to the murals in the Parish Church of Terlano and the Church of St. Catherine in Aica by Fiè. The Niederthor crest on the triumphal arch strongly suggests that the painting of St. Helena – like that in Terlan – was commissioned by the noble Niederthor family. Concealed behind paint for a long time, the coat of arms was once more revealed in 1885 and fully restored in 1938.
The outer walls feature images of St. Helena, St. Christopher and a crucifixion group on the façade, while on the south wall towards the apse there are representations of Mary with the infant Jesus and the three Holy Virgins, Catherine, Barbara and Margaret.
Inside the church, vaulted frescoes in the nave show the four evangelists with their respective symbols, each with an excerpt from his gospel. In the apse Christ appears enthroned as judge, surrounded by the symbols of the evangelists. The series of the twelve apostles below was partially destroyed during a subsequent extension of the windows. The triumphal arch points in the direction of the nave to the story of Cain and Abel, while the intrados depicts scenes from the Creation. The side walls of the nave feature images from the life of the Mother of God and Jesus’s childhood: the Annunciation, the Visit of Mary to Elisabeth, Mary and Joseph, the Adoration of the Magi, the Presentation at the Temple and the Flight into Egypt. On the west wall opposite the altar are St. Helena, St. Sebastian, a proclamation and the Bishops Ulrich and Wolfgang.
The church is Romanesque in its basic features and probably goes back to the 12th century. The small, rough stone relief to the far right of the façade dates from the 14th century. In 1410 the church was re-consecrated following completion of the painting. In 1500 the tower was given its wide pointed-arch window; the deeper-lying, coupled round-arched windows were bricked up. The altar structure dates back to the first half of the 17th century; the altarpiece is signed “J. G. Plazer 1723”.
The Church of St. Helena stands, according to legend, on silver ore. An ancient tradition tells of mining activities in the immediate vicinity of the church: G. Innerebner lists the church hill below the prehistoric settlements as a probable place of worship and orientation.
A detailed description and interpretation of the frescoes appears in the colour guide “St. Helena near Nova Ponente” SB 21 (M. Frei).

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.

In the village centre the picturesque parish church is witness to a pious past. Its tower is typical of the Roman Age. The foundation of the parish, according to local lore, dates back to Charles the Great. The church is surrounded by modern artwork. In the graveyard, the Vinschgau artist Luis Stefan Stecher immortalised himself a few years ago in 18 paintings, the "Dance of the Dead" frescoes. The illustrations, of great artistic significance, depict the farming traditions and character of the region, and draw our attention to social outcasts and to our eternal accompaniment, Death.

Paul Troger, Baroque painter, was born on 30th October 1698 the son of a sexton and dressmaker in Monguelfo. His “Troger-blue” is still mesmerizing.

The high altarpiece and the two side altarpieces in the parish church of St. Margaret were donated by Paul Troger to his home church. Paul Troger gave them as a gift to his home church, which was rebuilt from the ground up in the years 1736-1738.

The high altar painting shows the Holy Margareth with the Apostles Peter and Paul, Bishop Ulrich and St. George, the dragon slayer. The right side altar image represents a single successful composition of the adoration of the Magi, on the left side altar of St. Johannes Nepomuk shows how he distributed bread to the poor. 

Another work "St. Apostle Judas Thaddeus" by Paul Troger can be viewed at the Raiffeisen Bank, in the immediate vicinity of  S. Margereth Parish Church.

The Gothic church of St. Walburg is located at the top of a former castle hill a little above Kematen - it was consecrated in 1433.
St. Walburg was once a much-visited place of pilgrimage. The pilgrims came and fetched the Walburgis oil, which could cure diseases. Like many other churches and chapels, the chapel was closed during the time of the reform-minded Emperor Josef II.

LEGEND PATH to the St. Walburg church
Route: The path leads from Bad Winkel to Kematen up to the small St. Walburg church. The trail is mostly a forest path. The path can be walked from spring to late autumn. The start is in Bad Winkel: From the parking lot at the chapel next to Gasthof Bad Winkel (getting there either by passing through Kematen or as the case may be, passing by the Sand in Tauferer’s Sports area) we briefly stay on the road to Kematen and soon branch left onto the narrow footpath into the forest (do not take the road to Wiesemann farm!). The path then has some slight ascents and descents. Note: at the road fork you go right heading downhill not left heading uphill! The path ends at a clearing near a bench and at a carved wooden Hubertus Stöckl. Now, you go left onto the wider path heading upwards until you reach the road. Continue up this path for about 300 m. and then after a bridge you reach a wooden gate, where you take the left branching trail nr. 8 leading you to the St. Walburg church (1030 m), where a magnificent view of Taufers and the Zillertal mountains rewards you. You can return on the same path as you came on or you can take the City Bus to Sand in Taufers from Kematen.

The baroque Parish Church dates from 1738, though the tower remaining from an earlier building is Gothic. The artist Paul Troger from Welsberg was one of the most famous 18th century artists in all Austria. In 1737 he donated the three altar pictures to his home village.