Chiesa di San Silvestro in Monte

The Church of St Sylvester stands at the highest point of the Silvester Valley near Winnebach. Built around 1200, it is known for its fifteenth-century frescoes and its long association with the herders of the surrounding pastures.

Why it matters

The chapel’s history connects religious life with the pastoral economy of the upper Puster Valley. St Sylvester was venerated as a protector of livestock, and herders from the high farms and surrounding communities formed part of this tradition.

What to notice

The church is a simple rectangular hall with a flat wooden ceiling and an east-facing apse. The apse frescoes, painted around 1450 by Master Leonhard of Brixen, form the chapel’s central artistic feature. The hilltop setting opens across the Silvester Valley, which runs parallel to the main Puster Valley.

Context and history

The chapel dates to around 1200 and belongs to the parish of Winnebach. Local tradition places a prehistoric settlement on the hill and suggests the site may have held a cultic role before the church was built. A story associated with the chapel tells of animal figures hung on a nearby larch, which was later felled at the pastor of Dobbiaco’s order.