Description of the attraction
The Dominican Church with its old covered gallery is located about a hundred meters west of the city's main square, in Piazza Domenican. The church, as the name implies, is dedicated to Saint Dominic, and the buildings adjacent to it are all that remains of the ancient Dominican monastery, the first mention of which dates back to 1272. These were some of the first Gothic buildings in South Tyrol, and the monastery itself has long been an important spiritual and cultural center of the region.
After the secularization of 1785, the entire monastery complex was significantly changed. Buildings were also severely damaged during construction work in the 19th century and during the aerial bombardment of the city during World War II. But fortunately, the Gothic church has preserved frescoes from the 14th century, choir stucco in the Rococo style and the altarpiece by Guercino from the middle of the 17th century. And the chapel of San Giovanni is entirely painted with frescoes, which are considered a real gem of Gothic art in Bolzano and throughout South Tyrol. Traditionally, their creation is attributed to the school of Giotto (first half of the 14th century). Also worth noticing are the artwork in the Santa Caterina Chapel and the late 15th-century frescoes by Friedrich Pacher in the covered gallery.
Once the Piazza Domenicani, which today, in addition to the church of the same name, houses a music academy and a city art gallery, was the center of trade and art in Bolzano in the 14-16th centuries. Over time, it gradually lost its significance, giving the palm to Walterplatz square.
