ITALY: Streetart Ortisei - South Tyrol - Urban Art in Dolomites Val Gardena

Ortisei in Val Gardena, or in German also known as St. Ulrich in Gröden, is an Italian mountain town in South Tyrol with around 4.700 inhabitants. Along with Santa Cristina and Selva, Ortisei is one of the three municipalities in Val Gardena where, in addition to German and Italian, Ladin is also an official language. The town is especially popular with hikers, mountaineers, and mountain bikers. Ortisei also has a long history of artists and sculpture makers, especially woodworkers. Numerous sculptural works can be found in the town, particularly by CONRAD MODERER or NORBERT INSAM and at their workshops. As well there are several recommendable museums and art galleries like ART52 or the MUSEUM GHERDËINA, also the art societies CIRCOLO or SÜDTIROLER KÜNSTLERBUND organize regularly exhibitions and creative venues, and there is even an art academy. Check out as well the artworks from the surrounding villages Castelrotto, Santa Cristina and Selva.

Cademia – Scola D’Ert

Art School: CADEMIA

Website: https://www.cademia.it

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scolacademia

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizeumcademia

Location: Streda Pedetliva

Bay Sundial

Skiing School

Blue Horse Race

Location: Streda Rezia 198

Pana House

Casa Brida

Appartamenti Petlin

Cemetery Chappel Mural

„Do not dream your life, live your dreams“

„There is no reason not to follow your heart“ – Steve Jobs

Mother and Child Fresco

Sculpture of Luis Trenker

Luis Trenker, born Alois Franz Trenker, was a mountaineer, actor, director, and writer. He became particularly famous for his films about the Alps. The first contact with film came in 1921 when he was hired as a mountain guide for the film „Mountain of Destiny.“ When the director discovered that the lead actor couldn’t climb, Trenker took on the lead role. This was followed in quick succession by further films, first as an actor, later also as a director and screenwriter. His most famous films are: „The Battle for the Matterhorn“ (1928), „Mountains in Flames“ (1931), „The Rebel“ (1932), „The Prodigal Son“ (1934), „The Mountain Calls“ (1938) and „Under the Spell of Monte Miracolo“ (1943). He was born on 4th October in 1892 in Ortisei, and died on 13th April in 1990 in Bolzano, Italy.

Location: Streda Rezia 1

ALEX BERNARDI

Location: Via Stazione

Artist: ALEX BERNARDI – D’ALËSC – [ 1962 – 1986 ]

„Legionario Romano“ – JOHANN BAPTIST MORODER

This sculpture of a Roman legionary was carved in wood by the local sculptor and wood artist JOHANN BAPTIST MORODER in 1904 and later cast in bronze. He was born on 20th February in 1870 in Ortisei in Val Gardena and died there on 24th May in 1932. The statue stands in front of the historic building Villa Venezia, which the artist built between 1903 and 1905. He was also known as BATISTA DE TRINADIANESCH.

Location: Villa Venezia – Strada Rezia 198

Artist: JOHANN BAPTIST MORODER – [ 1870 – 1932 ]

Johann Baptist Purger Monument

The monument was erected in honor of the mayor Johann Baptist Purger, who lived from 1805 till 1872, is located near the parish square. He who fought against numerous obstacles and difficulties for the construction of the road between Ponte Gardena and Ortisei. Finally this important connecting road was inaugurated on 26th October in 1856. The increasing popularity of wood carving in the mid-19th century gave rise to calls for a better and shorter connection to the outside world. Until then, the road that branched off from the Pontives Gorge toward St. Peter and reached Chiusa via Laion, forming the most important route to the Eisack Valley, was the road that veered from the Pontives Gorge toward St. Peter and reached Chiusa via Laion. All food and wooden goods were transported along these arduous paths, with a horse capable of carrying no more than 100 kilos per load.

Wall Climbers

Watering Can Pourer

Sunbathing Girl

Pillar Bearer

Foundation Holder

Holy Mother Mary

Studio Dentistico Stuflesser

Paul Grohmann Monument

On the walking path to St. Jakob there is a monument commemorating the Austrian mountaineer Paul Grohmann (1838-1908), who made several first ascents in the Dolomites, including the Sassolungo in 1869, the Marmolada in 1864, the Große Zinne in 1869, and the Tofana di Rozes in 1864. The Grohmannspitze in the Sassolungo group was named after him in 1875.

Quarry Worker

Fence Maiden

Mountain Guide

Bicycle Race

Waxing Snowboarder

Wooden Rider

Nativity Scenery

„Crucifix of Peristi-Walpoth Duplicate“ – RICHARD SENONER

„Water Mill – 1993“ – RICHARD SENONER

Artist: RICHARD SENONER – SENONER PEPPI

Website: https://www.richardsenoner.it

Sunglasses Sculptures

Welcome Mouse

South Tyrolean

Beer and Accordion

Val Gardena Artists Exhibition – ART52

52 exhibitors present authentic handicrafts from Val Gardena at the gallery ART52. The unique permanent exhibition in the Ortisei Congress Center offers visitors a lively insight into Val Gardena’s handicrafts. On display are entirely hand-carved sculptures, intricate wood carvings, and artistic paintings – created by 52 local artisans. On their website you can find a list of all the participating artists with background information and contact links.

Location: Congress Center – Strada Rezia 1

Art Gallery: ART52

Website: https://www.art52.it

MUSEUM GHERDËINA

The Gherdëina Museum, located in the Cësa di Ladins in the center of Ortisei, opened on August 7, 1960. Since then, the museum has been expanded twice, in 1972 and 1985. The broad interests of the museum’s founders are reflected in the diversity of its collections. Taken as a whole, however, they were intended to showcase not only the rich cultural heritage of Val Gardena, but also its development in a wide variety of cultural areas.

Today, the range of exhibition areas extends from the formation of the western Dolomites and the associated development of marine and terrestrial life, to prehistory and early history, with the oldest evidence of human life in South Tyrol, to traditional wood and sculpture carving, to home-made wooden toys, and to the film legacy of Luis Trenker.

The collections of the Gherdëina Museum encompass a wide range of disciplines, including geology, paleontology, and mineralogy, alpine fauna and flora, archaeology, folklore, and arts and crafts, woodcarving, and painting. Unique cultural relics of supra-regional value include the Lenten Veil of St. James (1620/30) and the red chalk drawings by Bierjun from 1490. Since 2004, the museum has also housed the estate of the famous South Tyrolean mountaineer and film director Luis Trenker, to whom a separate exhibition area is dedicated. – Museum Gherdëina

Location: Streda Rezia 83

Art Gallery: MUSEUM GHERDËINA

Website: https://www.museumgherdeina.it

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/museumgherdeina

Exhibition „to be a man“ – ERICH HÖRTNAGL

Location: Circolo Art Gallery – Streda Rezia 102

Artist: ERICH HÖRTNAGL

Curator & Art Society: CIRCOLO – LIA MOSTRA D’ERT

Website: https://www.circolo.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CircoloGardena

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/circologardena

Memorial Exhibition – RUDOLF MORODER-RUDOLFINE & FINY MORODER

Location: Culture House Luis Trenker – Casa di cultura a Ortisei – Streda Rezia 1

Artist: RUDOLF MORODER-RUDOLFINE – [ 1913 – 2006 ]

Artist: FINY MORODER – [ 1916 – 2005 ]

Curator & Art Society: SÜDTIROLER KÜNSTLERBUND

Website: https://www.kuenstlerbund.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/suedtiroler.kuenstlerbund.skb

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suedtiroler_kuenstlerbund

LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/kuenstlerbund

Sculptor Workshop – CONRAD MORODER

Location: Streda Rezia 198

Artist: CONRAD MORODER

Website: https://www.moroder.com

Sculptor Workshop – NORBERT INSAM

Location: Streda Sacun 115

Artist & Mountain Guide: NORBERT INSAM

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/norbert_da_trebe

Casa dello Strudel

Cavallino Bianco

Fountain Sculptures

Small Clock Tower

Walkway Shrines

Historic Railway Locomotive

Ice Sculptures

San Giacomo – Saint Jacob Church

Rasciesa Hiking Trail – Unesco World Heritage

Rasciesa is a mountain range in the western Odle Group, located between the Gardena Valley and the Funes Valley. The southwest-facing summit plateau, which supports an extensive high-altitude pasture covering approximately 970 hectares, and the Rasciesa Forest below, are located within the municipality of Ortisei. Along the hiking trail, you’ll find numerous wooden sculptures, artistic wayside crosses and monuments. For those less keen on hiking, there’s also a funicular that takes you directly to the stunning panoramic views from the peaks. The area has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.