Assumption of Our Lady Cathedral

The history of the majestic cathedral near the Piazza Walther square in the centre of Bolzano dates back to the 5th century, when an early Christian basilica was built instead of a "Domus". On the remains of this basilica, the present Assumption of Our Lady Cathedral with its rich decorations is located. The late Gothic construction was started around 1300: Only then two centuries later, in 1519, it was completed with the construction of the 65 m high church tower according to the plans of the Augsburg cathedral master builder Burkhard Engelberg and Hans Lutz von Schussenried.

A special feature are the gargoyles and balustrades outside, which remind of Notre Dame in Paris. Inside, the cathedral houses numerous artworks, such as a Madonna portrait named "Plappermuttergottes", the Crucifixion fresco on the tower wall and the baroque Chapel of Grace. The gates, such as the Romanesque Lion Portal and the "Leitacher Törl", are also beautifully decorated. Right next door, in the old priory of the cathedral, the Cathedral Treasury can be visited. The cathedral itself, badly destroyed by bombardments during World War II, is now the Parish Church of Bolzano and the Cathedral of the Bolzano-Bressanone Diocese.