St. Leonard’s Church

Above Ortisei lies the hamlet of Bulla: It belongs to the municipality of Castelrotto, but is considered part of Ortisei in the Val Gardena. Here, in the centre of the village, stands St. Leonard's Church, the Parish Church of Bulla. While the original building dates from the 13th century and still displays Romanesque features, the high altar dates back to the 18th century.

As early as the 13th century, a chapel stood on this site, dedicated to St. Leonard, the patron saint of livestock. It was mentioned in records in 1295 and 1355. The Romanesque tower of the original building still stands - the rest of the church was remodelled in the Gothic style in the 15th century and was extended and given a Baroque design in the 18th century.

Leonard of Noblac was originally the patron saint of prisoners and is depicted with chains. As these chains were later interpreted as cattle chains, St. Leonard is also considered the patron saint of horses and cattle. The painting of St. Leonard inside the church is by Jakob Jenewein (1713-1745), a Tyrolean Baroque painter.