Nearby Sights

Admire the variety of flowers, trees, herbs and plants of every kind from every country and visit the museum on the history of tourism in Alto Adige, which opened in April 2003.

Open from mid-March to mid-November
Via S.Valentino 59 a – 39012 Merano – Tel. 0473-258819 – www.Trauttmannsdorff.it

The origins. The Madonna di Pietralba’s shrine sits at a 1520 mts altitude and was built in 1553 when the Virgin appeared to Leonardo Weißensteiner to free him from his sickness; she asked him, as a way to pay off his debt, to build a chapel where believers could go and invoke her. The originary chapel immediately was flooded with pilgrims, so much it soon became clear that a real church was to be built.
Art history. The current basilica (baroque style) was completed in 1654. She includes the much-worshipped statue of the Madonna Addolorata (Lady of Sorrows), keeping on her knees her dying son , the originary chapel built by Leonardo, the major altar covered with gold and Silver leaves, the beautiful vault frescoes, the work of Adam Mölk, the Pußjäger’s lateral altars and other works from A. Silber and F. Haider. Church is accessed via a corridor where hundreds of votive offerings are kept."

Right in the middle of the small Nova Ponente village is the parish church. A deep religiousness and a natural artistic taste produced and protected an artistic heritage that ranks among the best in the whole region.
Specially noteworthy is the imposing gothic parish church with the remaining relieves of what used to be a true ligneous altar masterpiece. The church is open everyday up to 18.00 pm.

At a short one hour walk from the village, on a hill stands a second small church devoted to sant’Agata, martyr and protectress, along with san Floriano, against fire. S. Agata is documented to exist since 1318.

Among all mountain small churches existing in our region, santa Elena boasts one of the most beautiful locations. The church can be reached with a short walk or with a quick drive through meadows and woods. The church is famous because of one of the absolute masterpieces of the 15th century Bolzano’s pictorial school: the collection of the church’s frescoes. The building dates back at somewhere around the 12th century or beginning of the following one. The frescoes stretch on the outside, on the façade and on inside of the church, covering the vertical sections, apse and vaults. On the church’s walls, frescoes on the subject of Old and New Testament.
Gorgeous views to the Latemar, Catinaccio and Sciliar peaks.