Alto Adige - Architecture

The vicissitudes of history are reflected in the art and architecture of Alto Adige, with examples of Romanesque (Val Venosta, San Cándido Cathedral), a rich range of Gothic (frescoes, altars with side panels) and major works of Renaissance and Baroque architecture. The Alto Adige is also notable for its numerous fortified castles.

Survey of art Romanesque style

A short survey of art and architecture can properly begin in the Val Venosta, which has mainly work in Romanesque style but also monuments dating back to the early days of Christianity, such as the crypt of Monte Maria (Marienberg) abbey, the Carolingian church of San Benedetto in Malles (Mals), numerous other churches in the valley which now stand empty, and above all San Prócolo at Naturno (Naturns), with the oldest surviving wall paintings in German-speaking territory. Other fine examples of Romanesque architecture which must be seen are the doorways in Castel Tirolo (Schloss Tirol) with their carved bestiary and the completely preserved cathedral at San Cándido (Innichen) in the Val Pusteria. Gothic style

Bolzano (Bozen) offers fine examples of Gothic, in particular its late Gothic cathedral and the altar by Michael Pacher (Coronation of the Virgin) in the old parish church of Gries. There are some fine exhibits to be seen in Bolzano Museum and the Diocesan Museum in Bressanone (Brixen). Both of these museums also contain Baroque pictures, while some of the finest painting to be found in the Alpine countries can be seen in the famous cloisters of the Franciscan and Dominican monasteries in Bolzano and in those of Novacella (Neustift) and above all Bressanone.

Baroque style

The Alto Adige is poor in major buildings of the Baroque period, apart from the beautiful church at Dobbiaco (Toblach) in the Val Pusteria. The finest Baroque palace in the region, Castello Mareta (Wolfsthurn), lies in the Val Ridanna, a remote side valley near Vipiteno.

Folk art and traditions

Folk art and traditions have always been important to the inhabitants of the Alto Adige. In Teodone (Dietenheim), near Brunico (Bruneck), the regional folk museum has an interesting collection and an open air department. Fine examples of the craftmanship of the Alto Adige can also be seen in the Folk Museum in Innsbruck (Austria). Old traditions are well maintained by the many local bands with their smart costumes. The beautiful old peasant costumes are still worn in the Val Sarentina, during the ordinary working week and not merely on special occasions. The pre-Christmas period is celebrated here with an old tradition, the so-called "Klöckeln", an ancient fertility cult combined with later Christian elements. The Corpus Christi procession of Castelrotto (Kastelruth) is famous, and many towns and villages, particularly in the mountain valleys, still have impressive processions which show a charateristic combination of genuine piety with attachment to traditional practices.