St. George in Weggenstein Church

A church of the Teutonic Order can also be found close to the centre of Bolzano (Bozen), more precisely at the northern end of the Via Bottai alley: 12 years after its foundation in the Holy Land, the Order came to Bolzano in 1202 and founded the Commandry of Bolzano with the Commandry Weggenstein. The St. George Church was built in 1392 on the site of an old residential tower in the Via Weggenstein road. In 1508, the Knöringen Tower was added, which was severely damaged by bombardments during World War II and then rebuilt in baroque style.

The single-nave Gothic church is well worth seeing: Coats of arms, tombstones and flags of various members of the order from the period between the 16th and 19th centuries can be admired on the left church wall. The altar, balustrade and pulpit were designed by the architect Andrea Filippini from Brescia (end of the 18th century) and are made of Rezzato marble, a red marble with white veining. The high altar painting by Martin Knoller with the dragon-killing George also dates back to that time. Today the St. George in Weggenstein Church in Bolzano, together with the Commandry in Lana, is one of the few remaining possessions of the Teutonic Order.