St. Oswald Church

High above the Valle Isarco valley, at 750 m a.s.l., the hamlet of Sant'Osvaldo (St. Oswald) is located in an area inhabited already 4,000 years ago. Beside a school, a fire station, three taverns and several farmsteads, also a beautiful little church can be found in the hamlet.

The building dates back to the Romanesque era and was mentioned for the first time in 1234 AD. In the Gothic period, however, it was decorated with fresco paintings. In the following centuries, the St. Oswald Church was converted to Baroque style. This can be seen on the onion-shaped roof of the tower with its fine red bricks and inside on the winged altar from the 18th century.

The oil painting on the altar depicts St. Oswald, King of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Northumbria. He is venerated as the patron saint of crusaders, mowers and cattle and worshipped as pest saint. At his side there's the second church patron, Pope Sylvester, holding the book with the statements of the Council of Nicea in his hands. Worth seeing is also the keystone in the vault of the presbytery, dating back to the 13th century and depicting St. Oswald as well.