Churches and Monasteries in Val Venosta / Vinschgau
The St. John Church in Tubre / Taufers was built around 1220; this Romanesque church is built in the shape of a Greek cross. The entirely painted vault shows a Byzantine influence, and also worth seeing are the frescos from the period of late Romanticism.
The show-piece of the parish church of St. John the Baptist in Lasa / Laas is the apse, which is entirely constructed from local Lasa / Laas marble dating back to the 12th century. The adjacent village cemetery is also characterized by its use of white Lasa marble. Today’s Lasa / Laas Parish Church was completed later.
The Spital Church of the Holy Spirit was built by Heinrich von Annenberg; the winged altar was created by the Swabian master Jörg Lederer. Particularly precious are the paintings at the rear of the church, which most probably originate from the workshop of Hans-Leonhard Schäuffelin. The Gothic portal in white marble was created by Oswald Furter.
The San Vito Church on Tarces / Tarsch hill is one of the few Romanesque churches which remain unchanged to this day. It was built in the 11th century on top of a pre-Christian place of worship.
The St. John Church in Prato / Prad was built at the end of the 13th century in Romanesque style with a multi-stage round apse and a flat ceiling in the nave. On the northern wall of the nave the remains of Romanesque frescos can be seen. The apse is decorated with paintings dating back to 1420.
Monte Maria Monastery was built at an altitude of 1,340m and is therefore the highest Benedictine Abbey in Europe. Since its foundation in the 12th century, the monks of Monte Maria / Marienberg Monastery live according to the rules of the religious order of St. Benedict of Nursia. Particularly worth seeing are the Romanesque crypt frescos with their unique illustrations of angels.
The small St. Benedict Church in Malles / Mals, built in the 8th century, is one of the oldest churches in Europe. In the interior there are Carolingian wall paintings, which belong among the oldest in Western Europe. The only illustration to be found anywhere in the world of a Franconian landlord in period attire is entirely unique.
The St. Proculus Church in Naturno / Naturns is one of the most famous monuments in South Tyrol. It was built in the 7th century on the edge of Naturno / Naturns, and contains the most complete cycle of early mural painting in Tyrol, as well as the oldest frescos in Western Europe.
Die Pfarrkirche stammt aus dem 12. Jahrhundert und enthält Stilelemente aus der Romanik bis zur Neugotik. Das Hauptportal in weißem Marmor wurde 1524 von Oswald Furter geschaffen. Im nördlichen Seitenschiff befindet sich ein Grabstein aus rotem Sandstein aus dem Jahre 1350.