Schloss Welsperg (Welsperg Castle) in Welsberg/Monguelfo
Welsperg Castle is situated on a hill which drops sharply to the Gsieserbach
river on three sides. It was built in the 12th century by the Lords of Welsperg
who claimed to be descendants of the Guelphs. One thing is for certain - they
were amongst the most influential noble families in the Tirol. As bailiffs of the
Counts of Görz and Tirol their political and social ascent began with an intelligent
marriage policy and clever commercial, mining and administrative activities.
Around 1900 the Counts of Welsperg became extinct and the castle now belongs
to the Counts of Thun-Hohenstein-Welsperg. In 1765 a large part of the castle
was devastated by a fire. In the meantime, however, the castle has been
accurately restored, and it has developed into an important cultural centre and
become an interesting place to visit.
Paul Troger: a tour of Welsberg, his home town
Paul Troger, the painter of the Austrian Baroque, was born in Welsberg on
30 October 1698 as the son of a sacristan and tailor. His 'Troger Blue' still fascinates
all art connoisseurs today. The tour begins at his birth place, then goes on to the
parish church where three of his works decorate the altar, further on to the Gothic
holy image of the well-known artist, Michael Pacher, to Zellheim, Paul Troger's
monument, to Grafenvilla and on to Rainkirche. According to tradition, his talent
was discovered at the artists' corner. The tour goes on to the castle that has a lot
to offer culturally and finishes in the headquarters of the Raiffeisenkasse Welsberg.
There you can see his work of the holy apostle Judas Thaddäus.
St George's Church (St. Georgskirche) in Taisten
The parish of St. Ingenuin and Albuin in Taisten is one of the original parishes of
our valley. For this reason Taisten has a lot of ecclesiastical art to offer. St George's
Church (Georgskirche) is the oldest architectural monument in upper Puster valley
and enable us to study the history of the first half of the second century. Our painter,
Simon of Taisten is closely connected to St George's Church. The parish priest, padre
Oberhammer, will introduce you to the world of sacred art.
The from the ice "Ötzi"
Over 5000 years ago, a man climbed up to the icy heights of the Schnalstal glacier
and died. He was found by accident in 1991, with his clothes and equipment,
mummified and frozen: an archaeological sensation and a unique snapshot of a
Copper Age man. For several years highly specialised research teams examined the
mummy and the articles found with it. They have been on exhibit since March 1998 at
the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology.
Farmers Museum Voadohuibn in St.Magdalena/Gsies
This is how our forefathers lived and survived in the small mountain farmsteads.
Eduard Hofmann, the guide, will explain these to you on a tour through the 'olte
Voadohiubn Haus'. He will show many of the tools and implements of the then
arduous farm work and you can even try out some of them yourself. He tries to impart
an insight into a past way of life.