Glorenza
Visit Glorenza
The small town of Glorenza, a little south of Malles-Venosta, is classed as one of the most beautiful villages of Italy.
The city walls of Glorenza, perfectly preserved, the semicircular towers and the three gates testify to the military character of the ancient "Burgum Glurns", to which Maynard II (1238-1205), the reigning Prince of Tyrol, conferred the title of "civitas", ("city"), but the real economic prosperity of Glurns was between the 14th and 15th centuries.
Among the more interesting things to see are the 13th century arcades (“Portici”), a number of patrician houses of the sixteenth century, and above all the Renaissance walls, with three middle ramparts and four corner bastions. See also the Castel Glorenza, a manor house with a courtyard, tower and residential wing; and the Frölich House, an elegant corner house, with a sundial decorated with coats of arms and a façade painted with a Renaissance allegory of the seven deadly sins (only the pictures of the 'Pride' and 'Avarice' have been preserved).
The Parish Church of St. Pancrazio is a late Gothic building, but of Romanesque origin, with a Baroque bell tower, a precious fresco in three parts dating from the twelfth century, and some interesting furnishings and tombstones. It is situated just off the city walls, along the Adige River and inside there is a remarkable fresco of the "Last Judgement", a work certainly influenced by Michael Pacher (1435-1498).
Outside the walls, among the cultivated fields, there is the church of Saint James 'al Maso Söles', a late Gothic building erected in 1570 by Prince Bishop of Salzburg Johannes Khuen-Belasi (16th century), but the origins of which date back to 1220; in fact, it is the oldest church of Tyrol dedicated to Saint James. In 1499 it was destroyed by a fire, but in 1570 was rebuilt in the Gothic style. In 1799 another fire destroyed the church. In 1993 some parts of the original church and numerous fragments of frescoes came to light during the restoration work.
If anyone is interested in the local history of Glorenza we suggest a visit to the historical exhibition in the Church Gate (the Tubre Gate), set on four floors; on the ground floor there are some ruins that recall the trade of salt and the supervision of the city gates. The parapet walk illustrates the reconstruction and fortification of the city in the sixteenth century, while others on the first floor show the location and the birth of the city. On the other two floors are some curiosities of Glurns (Glorenza).
Highlights close to Glorenza
Nearby and worth a visit is the Benedictine Abbey of Montemaria, with its crypt decorated with frescoes of the Romanic age and the Col Tarces, a site with a small pre-Romanesque church of S. Benedict in Malles, with some frescoes from the Carolingian age.
Next you should visit Castel Coira, an imposing structure dating back to 16th century; the different buildings are grouped around the courtyard, with a threefold of loggias, which preserves Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance parts. Particularly remarkable is the group of paintings depicting some scenes from Aesop's Fables, such as the Crow and the Fox (a fresco by Paul Moritsch [16th century]), the Wolf and the Stork, the Fox and the Wolf, the monkey and the Peacock. High up on three sides there are allegorical paintings of the months and golden and white sculptures of zodiac signs, such as Jupiter, Moon and Sun. There are also rare Italian armatures of the 14th century.
Finally, if we want to taste the typical country cuisine of "Alto Adige" there is no better way than to visit the so-called "Masi". Choose from all the typical dishes, the "gnocchi" with vegetables, the bacon and cheese, dumplings, goulash, stew, shin of pork, sausage. Don't forget the Tyrolean bacon and the wide variety of sweets made with cream or fruit.
Note: photo is copyright. See also history of Glorenza.
Click here to add your comments, suggestions or recommendations
Places to visit near Glorenza, Italy
Places to visit: Madonna di Campiglio (51km), Mals (3km) and Stelvio National Park (19km).
|
Please Give Us Your Feedback