Churches, towers and painted walls

In Val di Non, where art and history intertwine

In Val di Non there was a castle, atop a hill, which stood guard over the entire valley. Even to the little church that stood below, in the small village of Baselga di Bresimo. Today, only ruins are left of that castle, but the church is still there; it houses one-of-a-kind fresco, one you won’t find in any other church in Trentino.

In Val di Non there was also a noble castle immersed in the vineyards. That castle still exists. It houses the Chapel of San Valerio, with a cycle of frescoes that will amaze you with their magnificent state of preservation.

That castle also has a story to tell. We do it on this journey through the churches of Val di Non, where devotion has the strength of mighty walls and towers.

Church of Santa Maria Assunta, Baselga di Bresimo

If you look up, you see the remains of the walls of the Altaguardia Castle at the top of the hill. Standing more than 1200 metres above sea level, it is the highest castle in the whole of Trentino. It was the lords of the castle who, in the 16th century, rebuilt the church of Santa Maria Assunta on the remains of an ancient church.

An unexpected gift awaits you inside. A series of frescoes unique in the Trentino figurative repertoire.

The series includes eighteen paintings inspired by the cycle of woodcuts known as Kleine Passion (The Small Passion), realised by Albrecht Dürer in 1511.

The frescoes were realised between 1511 and 1538, and combine the Nordic-inspired art of Dürer with Lombard Renaissance art. They represent a clear example of the close ties between Trentino and Central Europe.

But the church also holds a little secret: a wooden sculpture hidden behind a niche in the seventeenth-century main altar, which is only shown on certain festivities. It is a 15th century Madonna dell’aca (Madonna of the Rain), venerated by the locals in cases of severe drought or to combat cholera epidemics.

If you feel like taking a walk, after seeing the church you can go up to the castle, to admire the entire Val di Bresimo from above.

Chapel of San Valerio, Tassullo

When talking about sacred art in eastern Trentino, one cannot help but mention the Baschenis family, active in these valleys of Trentino between the 15th and 16th centuries. They decorated the interiors and external facades of many Alpine churches, from Val di Sole to Val Rendena, passing through Val di Non.

In this case we do not visit a mountain church, but cross the walls of Castel Valer, in the municipality of Tassullo.

Here, Giovanni and Battista Baschenis frescoed the walls of the Chapel of San Valerio, giving us paintings of intense vitality which are still in a perfect state of conservation.

The visit offers us a unique opportunity to admire these wonderful frescoes and take a tour of this one-of-a-kind castle

Until a few years ago, the halls of Castel Valer were inhabited by Count Ulrich, the last of the Spaur family to live in the manor. The interiors are still perfectly furnished today and welcome you with the warmth of a home. (link to the article on Castel Valer)

And until a few years ago you could even meet the count, walking with his stick in his Tyrolean loden jackets. He would surely have captivated you with his stories and anecdotes about the castle and his noble family.