St. Vigilius Church in Castelvecchio

While in the middle of the Castelvecchio Forest near Caldaro you can find the remains of the St. Peter's Basilica, one of the oldest churches of Tyrol, the little St. Vigilius Church is enthroned just above it in the hamlet of Castelvecchio. Until the 17th century there was also a castle of the Counts of Appiano on this hill, which has now disappeared. A first church was already mentioned in the 9th century as "ecclesia sancti Uigilii de Castello". In the 13th and 14th century there were some reconstructions. The present late Gothic appearance dates back to the end of the 15th century.

Remarkable are the old frescos of the St. Vigilius Church in Castelvecchio, today by the way a popular wedding church. Outside on the north side St. Christopher (1360/80) is still recognisable, the west side is adorned with a representation of a grieving, which is no longer well preserved: St. Wilgefortis, a female saint of the Catholic Church whose distinguishing feature is a large beard, on the cross, whose face resembles the Holy Face of Lucca, and two Holy men and women can be seen. Inside there is a neo-Gothic winged altar from 1912, a cooperative work of Stanis Gruber from Appiano and the carver Jakob Mussner from the Val Gardena. During a walk to the St. Peter's Basilica or to the famous Rastenbach Gorge, a detour to Castelvecchio is recommended.