Dominican Church and Monastery

The Dominican Church, one of the first Gothic building ensembles in South Tyrol, rises on the Piazza Domenicani (Dominican Square) in Bolzano. The church and the adjoining cloister are the remains of a monastery complex dating back to the 13th century: In 1272 monks of the Dominican Order settled in Bolzano. Several chapels of that time, which were part of the complex, are now destroyed: In the Chapel of St. John, however, you can admire one of the most beautiful fresco cycles of the city, from the Giotto's art school (14th century).

The Gothic Dominican Church also shows Baroque elements from the 17th and 18th centuries. The monastery enchants with its cloister with paintings of the Bolzano School from the 14th century and frescoes by Friedrich Pacher from 1496. In 1785 the Dominican Monastery and Church were closed by Emperor Joseph II. Bomb raids during World War II then destroyed parts of the complex, which today house the Bolzano City Gallery and the Bolzano Music Conservatory. In 2015 the Dominican Church was equipped with new artistically designed stained-glass windows.