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.

References:

suedtirolerland.it

Religious sites in Italy

User Reviews

florian pöschl (2 years ago)
Went there as a family (children 5 & 8 years old) and everyone loved the museum and the chapel itself. Toilets were clean, everything was barrier-free. Conclusion: Small and delicate probably sums it up best.

Antonio Pistore (2 years ago)
Splendid ancient church with precious Carolingian frescoes. The building preserves the charm of times gone by intact. Unfortunately it is difficult to find it open...

Gianluca Sacchi (5 years 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.

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The beginning of the building of the church was placed to the second half of the 8th century, and it is supposed to have been completed in the 9th century. The Zadar bishop and diplomat Donat (8th and 9th centuries) is credited with the building of the church. He led the representations of the Dalmatian cities to Constantinople and Charles the Great, which is why this church bears slight resemblance to Charlemagne's court chapels, especially the one in Aachen, and also to the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna. It belongs to the Pre-Romanesque architectural period.

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St. Proculus Church

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