Chiesa parrocchiale dei Santi Pietro e Paolo

Castelrotto’s Parish Church of Saints Peter and Paul was rebuilt between 1838 and 1845. Its three-naved classicist interior and detached Baroque bell tower reflect different periods in the history of the village church.

Why it matters

The church is documented from 1190 and remains the parish church of Castelrotto. Its nineteenth-century rebuilding followed plans associated with the Viennese court building office and replaced the earlier medieval structure.

What to notice

Six pillars divide the three naves. The high altar holds an Assumption of Mary painted in 1851 by Melchior Paul von Deschwanden, with a crowning of the Virgin from 1887 above it. Baroque statues of Saints Peter and Paul flank the sanctuary. Nearby, the separate bell tower dates to a rebuilding in 1756 after lightning destroyed its predecessor.

Context and history

The earliest documentary mention of the church dates to 1190, and its dedication is to the apostles Peter and Paul. Its local name, Dom auf dem Berge (“cathedral on the mountain”), reflects its prominent place in the village. The church was rebuilt in the mid-nineteenth century, while the freestanding tower preserves an earlier phase of the parish ensemble.