St. Proculus Church

The little St. Proculus Church - "St. Prokulus Kirchlein" in German, "Chiesa di San Procolo" in Italian - near Naturno is undoubtedly a historical treasure. The building itself was established between 630 and 650 AD in place of an old house and dedicated to Saint Proculus, a bishop of Verona who survived the persecutions of Diocletian. In the following centuries, the sacred building was restored and enlarged several times. In the 17th century, however, when the plague caused havoc also in Naturno, mass graves for the victimes were excavated near the church.

The St. Proculus Church features the probably most ancient frescoes of the German speaking area and the most complete early fresco cycle of Tyrol. Furthermore, there are some Gothic frescoes from the 14th century. Discovered in 1912, they were laid open in 1923/24 during the restoration of the church. The age of the oldest pre-Carolingian frescoes, however, is rather contested, new datings refer to the period of time between the 7th and 10th century. The most famous fresco shows a man on a swing, probably St. Proculus himself. Very unusual for a sacred building, however, is the representation of a dog with a herd of cows.

The nearby Proculus Museum which exhibits the Gothic frescoes of the church completes this extraordinary experience. And how to reach the St. Proculus Church? The sacred building is located in the Via San Procolo road, a parking space can be found nearby. From the centre of Naturno, it is accessible in a walk of just a few minutes.