St. Mary Magdalene Church in Bolzano

Where the famous Santa Maddalena Wine is cultivated, on the outskirts of Bolzano, rises a tiny church. It is the listed St. Mary Magdalene Church, a single-nave building with church tower, first mentioned in 1170. Presumably, in this place there was a stone-age cult site, which was consecrated to Christianity in the Middle Ages. Around 1370 and 1500, the church was rebuilt: The stone-framed main portal, enriched with rosettes, however, dates back to the Renaissance (1627 AD). Saint Mary Magdalene welcomes visitors with an ointment vessel next to the entrance.

Its inside is covered with gorgeous frescoes: The ones in the apsis were exposed in the second half of the 20th century, when the church was renovated, and date back to the time around 1300 - a principal work of the early Gothic painting in South Tyrol. The other paintings were realised about 70 years later, when Upper Italian influences in the tradition of Guariento and Giotto were brought to Bolzano. The high altar, done by Oswald Krad in 1667, is among the most important ones of South Tyrol. It was coloured by Franz Teutenhofen. By the way: This special place is associated with the legend of the Holy Grail. It is said, that the chalice was transported also over these mountains.