
St. Proculus Church
A little church ‘sui generis’
The St. Proculus Church in Naturno/Naturns occupies a special position among all Romanesque churches in South Tyrol. This small church on the Roman Via Claudia Augusta was built between 630 - 650 AD. and is probably the oldest preserved building of the early Christian era in the Alpine region. The tower with coupled round arched windows and low, walled pointed dome in Romanesque style was only added around 1150.


"All that is, is light“
John Scotus Eriugena (815 - 877)
John Scotus Eriugena (815 - 877)
St. Proculus is also famous for its pre-Carolingian cycle of frescoes. These are some of the oldest preserved pre-Romanesque murals. The frescoes are so well preserved in part because they were hidden under a layer of Gothic paintings applied in the late Middle Ages until the 20th century.
Further archaeological excavations revealed the remains of a late antique house and an early medieval tomb. Burial objects, such as a Germanic short sword and other objects were discovered. Archive material and human bone finds also testify to the cemetery's use as a plague cemetery after an epidemic in the middle of the 17th century. After all, St. Proculus was located outside the village centre.
The Proculus Museum
In 2006, the ‘Prokulus Kulturverein’ association founded the Proculus Museum a few metres from the church. This architectural gem features a ground level entrance that leads down into the underground museum rooms. Along a route through the museum, the Gothic frescoes that were removed in the church to bring the older paintings back to light can be seen, among other things. By means of finds, pictures, maps, and cinematic techniques, four ‘space-time stations’ transport visitors back to the epochs of late antiquity, the early Middle Ages, the Gothic period and the 17th century.
Further archaeological excavations revealed the remains of a late antique house and an early medieval tomb. Burial objects, such as a Germanic short sword and other objects were discovered. Archive material and human bone finds also testify to the cemetery's use as a plague cemetery after an epidemic in the middle of the 17th century. After all, St. Proculus was located outside the village centre.
The Proculus Museum
In 2006, the ‘Prokulus Kulturverein’ association founded the Proculus Museum a few metres from the church. This architectural gem features a ground level entrance that leads down into the underground museum rooms. Along a route through the museum, the Gothic frescoes that were removed in the church to bring the older paintings back to light can be seen, among other things. By means of finds, pictures, maps, and cinematic techniques, four ‘space-time stations’ transport visitors back to the epochs of late antiquity, the early Middle Ages, the Gothic period and the 17th century.
Opening times
Opening times:
Church
2 April to 15 October 2019: 9.30am-midday 2.30-5.30pm
16 October to 3 November 2019: 9.30am-midday 2-5pm
(closed Mondays)
Special openings: 22 April an 10 June 2019
Museum
9 April to 31 October 2019: Thuesday until Friday 10am-midday and 2.30-5.30pm, Saturday: 10am-midday, Sunday: 11am – 12.30pm and 2pm – 5.30pm
(closed Mondays and Public Holidays)
Special openings: 22 April, 19 May, 10 Juni and 12 October 2019
Guided tours:
Church: 10am + 3pm German 11am + 4pm Italian and on request
Museum: on request
Barrier-free:
yes
Car park:
adjacent
Opening times:
Church
2 April to 15 October 2019: 9.30am-midday 2.30-5.30pm
16 October to 3 November 2019: 9.30am-midday 2-5pm
(closed Mondays)
Special openings: 22 April an 10 June 2019
Museum
9 April to 31 October 2019: Thuesday until Friday 10am-midday and 2.30-5.30pm, Saturday: 10am-midday, Sunday: 11am – 12.30pm and 2pm – 5.30pm
(closed Mondays and Public Holidays)
Special openings: 22 April, 19 May, 10 Juni and 12 October 2019
Guided tours:
Church: 10am + 3pm German 11am + 4pm Italian and on request
Museum: on request
Barrier-free:
yes
Car park:
adjacent
Contact data
Via San Procolo
39025 Naturno
Tel. Church +39 0473 66 73 12 / +39 348 920 3829
Tel. Museum +39 0473 67 31 39
Via San Procolo
39025 Naturno
Tel. Church +39 0473 66 73 12 / +39 348 920 3829
Tel. Museum +39 0473 67 31 39
Impressions









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