Parish church Maria Himmelfahrt and the Schnatterpeck altar

The parish church at Lana was built on the sites of a much older Romanesque church and consecrated in 1492. Of particular interest ist the Gothic altar by Hans Schnatterpeck. It has carved figures, some in life size; the altar reaches a height of 14.10 m; it is the largest Gothic altar in the whole Alpine area.

The parish church of Niederlana is among the most beautiful examples of South Tyrolean Late Gothic art. Its magnificent winged altar by Hans Schnatterpeck is known far beyond the borders of the country.

The Schnatterpeck altar is 14 m high and 7 m wide and is thus considered to be the largest winged altar in the Alps. It is carved from chestnut wood and elaborately gilded. The altarpiece was created at the beginning of the 16th century over a period of 8 years by the Swabian sculptor Hans Schnatterpeck and his journeyman. The altar was paid for by the citizens of Lana (approx. 800 people) themselves. Schnatterpeck received 1,600 Rhenish Gulden (i.e. the value of 3 farms) and 8 cartloads of wine.

The carved representation of biblical content contains a rare depiction of the Throne of Grace (God the Father holding the body of Christ on his lap), flanked by the life-sized statues of the apostles Peter and Paul. After carving, the altar was painted by Schnatterpeck and his journeyman and finally decorated with ducat gold. The altar was raised and consecrated around 1511 in the parish church of Niederlana and has never been removed, not even during the World Wars.

Holy Mass:
Friday at 19.00 in german language
Sunday at 10.00 in german language

Information and registration for groups:
Email: gruber.ida@alice.it or Mobil +39 333 434 259 6

The church is only open during guided tours!

During the fasting period, the altar remains closed!