St. Anthony’s Chapel

In the middle of the Piazza Sant'Antonio square in the village centre of Ortisei, two blocks from the Parish Church of St. Ulrich, stands a small church dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua. The Portuguese preacher and Franciscan is considered one of the 36 Doctors of the Roman Catholic Church and the patron saint of bakers, miners, swineherds, travellers, and social workers, as well as several European cities. A church on this site was first mentioned in writing as early as 1430.

The present-day church was built between 1673 and 1676 in the Renaissance style and consecrated in 1680. It was completely restored in the 1980s. St. Anthony’s Chapel is recognisable from a distance by its 29-metre-high onion dome, which houses three bells. Its unadorned design and the small ridge turret also give it a graceful appearance.

Inside, the six painted glass windows and the glass rosette from the 19th century are worth seeing. The neo-Romanesque main altar was decorated by the Swiss painter Melchior Paul von Deschwanden. The adjacent statues depict Saints Rupert and Ulrich, works by Johannes Vinatzer from 1684. The twelve oil paintings above the cornice, depicting scenes from the life of St. Anthony, also date from the 17th century. During the tourist season, the church was used by the Protestant community for their services.

The small church, with the Dolomites of the Val Gardena in the background, makes a particularly beautiful photograph, especially in the early morning and evening hours.