Skip to main content

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

Saint Christina's parish church

The church dedicated to Saint Christina was first mentioned in 1342, and its foundation was in Freising. The fraternity altar from the early 18th century was created by the Vinazer brothers, and the baroque high altar is by the sculptor Trebinger. The current panel painting from 1848 originates from Johann Burgauner of Castelrotto, while the Last Supper relief on the northern choir wall (1855) is from the Val Gardena sculptor Peter Nocker.

Paratoni

Paratoni is one of the oldest still-standing twin farmhouses in Val Gardena and an example of how harmoniously the farms fit into the landscape - in this case, the steep slopes of Plesdinaz. The farmhouses date back to the first half of the 13th century and consist of a stonewalled lower floor and a protruding living area made of wood. They feature one of the oldest Rhaetian cellars with parts of a vaulted corridor from 1242/45.

Ciancel d'Uridl (La Sigata)

The house behind S. Cristina parish church is a baroque construction from the 18th century and enjoys listed status. The reddish façades with pretty white patterns connecting the storeys and house edges, the ornamental baroque décor around the windows and the baroque parlours are typical features. The building displays the year 1786 on its north side and was faithfully renovated in the 1920s and 1930s.  

 

Crëpa

Crëpa is one of the oldest Ladin farmhouses and lies on the steep slopes of Plesdinaz. The central part dates back to the 13th/14th century, having been converted in 1460. The farm has been kept in its original state and is an impressive example of construction using the locally available materials of stone and wood. The lower storey of the dwelling consists of Romanesque ashlar masonry, with a storey housing the living quarters made of larch wood protruding over it. The farm building has a 'palancin' balcony going around it for drying sheafs of corn. 

Ulëta

Ulëta, on the sunny side of the valley at 1560 metres above sea level, is one of the few hamlets in Val Gardena and consists of three twin farmhouses. The lowest dwelling has a central section from the 13th century, and the highest dwelling is probably the most recent building in the ensemble. The hamlet is a prime example of how Val Gardena farmhouses reflect their location, weather, climate and use of sunlight and communicate with their environment.

Two flint arrowheads

Arrowheads bear witness to hunting in the high mountains, which was still practiced in the Middle Bronze Age. These two arrowheads from Lech Sant, an Alpine Lake, on the Aschgleralm (Ladin Mastlé), together with other finds, indicate the significance of the location as a cult place where sacrificial burnt offerings were made. The colloquial name 'Heiliger See' (Holy Lake) and the legend of the submerged chapel in the lake keep the memory of pre-Christian mountain cults alive to this day. 

Fragments of Melaun pitchers

Fragments of several pitchers made of so-called 'Melaun ceramic' from the late Bronze Age were discovered at Lech Sant at Mastlé (Aschgleralm). These jugs feature girlands and small vertical borders going down the sides. They were principally used for religious rituals at cult sites or cremations as vessels for pouring special liquids. 

Dolomite

Dolostone, or dolomite, or dolomitic rock, is a carbonate rock made up of the mineral dolomite - calcium-magnesium carbonate - that is secondarily derived from limestone. Although dolostones may be found in other places too, only these mountains are called the Dolomites, after the English naturalist who first identified the connection with the mineral dolomite, which a Swiss student, in turn, named after the French geologist Dolomieu.

Archeolepidotus

This fossil fish is unique. Thanks to the microfossils contained in the rock, it could be dated back to the Permian-Triassic extinction event (about 252 million years ago). This was a crucial moment in the Earth's history, when life itself was threatened with extinction. Archaeolepidotus represents the Parasemionotiformes, which were already around in the Late Permian and then underwent extensive development in the Early Triassic. The majority of today's fish originate from this group.