Rain was forecast for much of Thursday (26.09.2024), and it duly arrived in the course of the afternoon. It was also very windy, and we decided against a hike.

Instead, we walked the very short distance to the museum and church of St Proculus, just down the road from our hotel.

The museum covers not only the history of the small church, but gives a general good idea of human history in the area of Naturns, spanning from the first Iron Age settlers several thousands of years ago to the time when this part of Tyrol became part of Italy.

The Romans built a road right through the valley of the river Etsch/Adige (Via Claudia Augusta); Medieval folks struggled with The Black Death and the constant threat of their fields and houses being flooded; and later, rich landowners and aristrocatic families competed or bonded with the church on their quest for more money and more influence.

Everything was well presented at the museum, and as usual when I come eye to eye with past times, I am grateful for living today - althoug of course I am fully aware of the problems of our times.

The small church across the road from the museum is dedicated to St Proculus, a building that has not yet given up all secrets in spite of decades of serious scientific examination. Althoug it looks Romanic at first glance, the bell tower was only added at around the year 1185, while the stone foundations of the one room church originate from the 8th century.

Inside, the oldest frescoes known in the entire German-speaking region (comprising Germany, the bordering regions with France, Denmark, Poland and the Czech Republic, parts of Switzerland, all of Austria and what is South Tyrol/Alto Adige in Italy today) can be admired.

We were lucky in catching quite by chance one of the rare guided tours. The lady who explained the frecoes to us emphasized several times that there were many differing theories, and while some things were known with certainty, many others were subject to interpretation and hotly debated among theological and cultural arts scienctists.

I did not take a single picture of those frescoes, as a) the lighting was difficult and b) the small space was full of participants of the tour, but I was deeply impressed. The celtic elements were a big surprise, but it is historically known and proven that Anglo-Irish monks and other clergy visited the Alpine regions, bringing their aristic ideas and techniques along. 

Please check the official website for pictures and information in English.

After we‘d spent a full two hours in the tiny church and small museum, we walked around the village of Naturns/Naturno before making our way back to the hotel at a leisurely pace.

By 2:00 pm, we were in our room, resting for an hour and then headed down to the hotel spa for a couple of rounds in the saunas until it was time to get dressed for dinner.