St. Proculus Church

Naturno, Italy

The small St Proculus church near Naturno is undoubtedly a historical treasure. It dates back to the 7th century AD and features the probably most ancient frescos of the German speaking area and the most complete early fresco cycle of Tyrol. Furthermore there are some Gothic frescoes from the 14th century.

The building itself has been established between 630 and 650 AD. The age of the oldest pre-Carolingian frescoes, however, is rather contested, new datings refer to the period of time between the 7th and 10th century. The most famous fresco shows a man on a swing, probably St Proculus himself.

Only a stone’s throw from the chapel, there is also the Proculus Museum, which has been inaugurated in 2006. The museum is allocated subterraneously and takes visitors into 1,500 years of history of the area around Naturno. Four time-space showrooms take you across late antiquity, Middle Ages and early modern times. Moreover in the museum you can admire the Gothic frescoes which have been taken down from the walls of the St Proculus church.

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Address

Via San Procolo 6, Naturno, Italy
See all sites in Naturno

Details

Founded: 630-650 AD
Category: Religious sites in Italy

More Information

www.suedtirolerland.it

Rating

4.7/5 (based on Google user reviews)

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Prince’s Castle (11,9 km)
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Church tower of Lake Resia (40,1 km)
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South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology (31 km)

User Reviews

Antonio Pistore (4 months ago)
Splendid ancient church with precious Carolingian frescoes. The building keeps intact the suggestion of past times. Unfortunately it is difficult to find it open ...
Gianluca Sacchi (4 months ago)
Unmissable stop in the Romanesque tour in Val Venosta. Splendid frescoes, unique for their iconography. San Procolo which seems to swing is not to be missed.
R A (4 months ago)
It is a real medieval gem enclosed in 25 square meters. And the opposite museum, to visit first, fully enhances it.
Elena Casa (6 months ago)
The couple who guaranteed its opening at the weekend ceased his service. They are looking for volunteers. We contacted the parish priest in time, who kindly opened the Church to us. The Carolingian frescoes rediscovered by Giuseppe Gerola in 1923 under the lime (applied at the time of the plague) are very particular. The Gothic frescoes in the upper part are also interesting.
Karlheinz Hitzler (23 months ago)
Sehr schönes altes Kirchlein, der Kirchen Führer ist einsame Spitze, aber man bedenke immer, man ist an einem heiligen Ort
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