Skip to main content

"Great is the power of memory that dwells in places." (from Cicero)

The Instruments of the Passion

Flagellation, a crown of thorns, hammer, nails, pliers, lances, vinegar-soaked sponge and ladder, dice and Jesus' garments: nothing connected with Christ's crucifixion was left out of this baroque crucifixion group from Gröden. The reason is simple: the Instruments of the Passion were considered powerful weapons in the fight against evil. The house that this devotional item originates from is not known.

Lenten cloths of St. Jakob

The only Lenten cloth in South Tyrol used to cover the altar during Lent. The story of salvation is told in 24 pictures: from Christ's suffering to the Ascension and Whitsun. The spaces are ordered into four rows, the scenes teem with figures. The cloth painted with tempera on primed canvas was in use in St. Jakob's chapel until 1950, painter unknown.

Red chalk drawing of Bierjun

This bed chamber was built onto the now-demolished Bierjun farmhouse in Überwasser in 1456 and only revealed its secret beneath ultraviolet light: drawings in red chalk of scenes ranging from the passion of Christ to the mounting of the bell in Pufels church tower, and a bear hunt. These red chalk drawings are a rare example of religious piety in a private rural context before 1500. One farm owner was provost of St. Leonhard's chapel in Pufels in the 17th century.