Caldaro Parish Church

At the Piazza del Mercato (Market Square) in Caldaro village (Kaltern) rises the majestic Assumption of Mary Parish Church: the current classicistic construction is separated from the 72.5 metres high Gothic steeple, which presumably was planned by the architect Burkhard Engelbert from Augsburg around 1500. According to tradition the Caldaro Parish was already founded in the 4th or 5th century AD by St. Vigilius, Bishop of Trento. However, it is a proven fact that the origins of the parish date back at least to the early Middle Ages - in 1211 it was mentioned as "plebs Caldari", with a little Romanesque church rising in this place.

In 1376 the church burned down and was replaced shortly afterwards by a late Gothic hall church. The valuable winged altar by Hans Klocker, today distributed among several collections, dates from this period. At the end of the 18th century, however, the Caldaro Parish Church was demolished and rebuilt - today the outside presents itself in classicistic style, whereas the spacious and bright inside is still Baroque.

Worth mentioning is above all the ceiling painting, realised by the famous Tyrolean Baroque painter Joseph Schöpf (1745 - 1822) from Telfs. The choir fresco shows the Coronation of Mary and refers to the Patrocinium. Also the Baroque organ case constructed by the wood carver Kasper Schonger in 1792 and the high altar made of marble by Teodoro Benedetti (around 1740) are artistic masterpieces. The two side altars, however, came from Venice in 1818. And how to reach the Assumption of Mary Parish Church? It is located at the Piazza del Mercato (Market Square) in the village centre of Caldaro and is easily accessible by public transport.