RS st jakob kastelaz tramin
RS st jakob kastelaz tramin

St. James in Kastelaz Church

On the Kastelaz Hill above the wine village of Termeno hybrid creatures, half-human and half-animal, can be admired

Bronze findings dating back to prehistoric times and Roman coins prove that a sunny hill near Termeno (Tramin), called Kastelaz Hill, has already been inhabited in ancient times. The St. James's Church rises here, a real gem from an art-historical point of view. It houses a widely known and well preserved Romanesque fresco cycle, which is among the oldest ones in the German speaking area. The St. James in Kastelaz Church - sometimes mistakenly called St. Jacob's Church due to the fact that the German "St. Jakob" is used for both St. James and St. Jacob - was first mentioned in 1214 AD, but presumably its origins date back to the 11th century.

Around 1220 the chapel, which dominates the landscape around Termeno, was decorated with a Romanesque fresco cycle showing imaginative hybrid creatures of man and animal, including creatures with dog heads, bird or fish parts and centaurs, mixed creatures of man and horse, from Greek mythology. They represent the opposite, so to speak the sin, to the series of frescoes above, showing the 12 Apostles and Christ in Majesty. In the side nave, however, there are colourful Gothic wall paintings realised by Ambrosius Gander in 1441.

The St. James in Kastelaz Church - "Kirche St. Jakob in Kastelaz" in German, "Chiesa di San Giacomo a Kastelaz" in Italian - participates at the annual "Day of the Romanesque" and is also one of the stunning places along the "Alpine Road of Romanesque Art - Stairway to Heaven" in South Tyrol and in the Swiss Canton of Grisons. And how to reach the chapel? It is accessible in a short walk, as it doesn't offer any parking possibilities. Parking spaces can be found in the nearby village centre of Termeno. St. James in Kastelaz represents also the starting point of the Kastelaz Path, a panoramic trail which leads in a 2.5-hour walk to the village of Cortaccia.

Contact info

Opening times

  • Tue 19 Mar 10:00 - 18:00
  • Wed 20 Mar 10:00 - 18:00
  • Thu 21 Mar 10:00 - 18:00
  • Fri 22 Mar 10:00 - 18:00
  • Sat 23 Mar 10:00 - 18:00
  • Sun 24 Mar 10:00 - 18:00
  • Mon 25 Mar 10:00 - 18:00

Despite careful control we cannot guarantee the correctness of the provided data.

Full timetables
Despite careful control we cannot guarantee the correctness of the provided data.

March - November (15/03/2024 - 06/11/2024)

  • Mon 10:00 - 18:00
  • Tue 10:00 - 18:00
  • Wed 10:00 - 18:00
  • Thu 10:00 - 18:00
  • Fri 10:00 - 18:00
  • Sat 10:00 - 18:00
  • Sun 10:00 - 18:00

November - March (07/11/2024 - 14/03/2025)

  • Mon closed
  • Tue closed
  • Wed closed
  • Thu closed
  • Fri closed
  • Sat 10:00 - 16:00
  • Sun 10:00 - 16:00

Admission

€ 2.00 per person

More information

Guided tours for groups on request.

Suggest an edit/correction

Our editorial staff is always committed to ensuring the highest quality and accuracy of the information we publish. If you have suggestions to improve this page you can send them to us using the form below. Thank you in advance!

Close

Suggested accommodations

Tips and more infos