The highest located Benedictine Abbey of Europe is located at an altitude of 1,340 m above Burgusio in the Val Venosta valley
Image gallery: Benedictine Abbey of Monte Maria
Two impressive buildings rise in Burgusio near Malles and are visible from the Val Venosta road: the Prince's Castle and, above it, the snow-white Monte Maria Monastery (Kloster Marienberg). The castle-like building dates back to the 12th century and was donated by the Nobles of Tarasp. The first monks derived from the Benedictine Abbey of Ottobeuren in Bavaria. Today the monastery has got 11 members, living according to the rules of the Saint Benedict of Nursia.
In 1724, the monks founded a Humanistic Gymnasium in Merano, in the 20th century the abbey itself hosted a private gymnasium and therefore has got a long tradition in formal education. Pius Zingerle, Albert Jäger and Beda Weber were an illustrious triumvirate in the gymnasium, until 1928, when it was forced to close its doors. Still today, however, the monks operate in the field of continuing education with weekend courses and the "Monastery on Time". And they knew how to bake: The original recipe of the bread of the Val Venosta valley was rediscovered here.
Since 2007, the ground floor hosts the "ora et labora" Monastery Museum, furthermore the library, the St. Stephan Church and the museum depot can be visited. And how to reach the Monte Maria Monastery? The road from Burgusio to Slingia/Watles leads to a parking space in a bend, from there it's just 100 metres to the building. Furthermore, the short St. Benedict Trail takes you from Burgusio to the monastery, and several hiking paths, such as the Hours' Trail, lead past it.
Contact info
- Slingia / Schlinig 1 - 39024 - Malles / Mals
- +39 0473 843980
- info@marienberg.it
Opening times
Despite careful control we cannot guarantee the correctness of the provided data.
Admission
Monastery Museum "ora et labora":
€ 6.00 adults
€ 4.50 groups
€ 3.00 students
free for children up to 14 years (if accompanied by their parents)
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guided tours on reservation (in German/Italian language):
€ 27.00 tour (crypt, library, showcase) with museum
€ 10.50 library with museum
€ 10.50 crypt with museum
€ 10.50 St. Stephen with museum
More information
Monte Maria with its museum stays open every year from mid-March to the end of October and during the two weeks at the end of the year. It remains closed on Sundays and on church holidays, furthermore from early January to mid-March and from early November to the end of December.
The café is open from the 1st of May 2025 from Monday to Saturday from 10.30 am to 5.30 pm.
Guided tour to the museum every 1st Wednesday of the month at 2 pm (in Italian language) and at 3.30 pm (in German language). The museum, the shop and the church are barrier-free. The crypt, the library, St. Stephen and the exhibition depot are accessible only during a guided tour.
Summer season start 2025 on March 15, winter season start 2025/26 on December 27.
