Monguelfo-Tesido (Welsberg-Taisten in German) is a town in the province of Bolzano, located in Val Pusteria, at the beginning of Val Casies. The discovery of important archaeological finds attest that the area was inhabited since the Bronze Age, while the Romans built here a fortress and main road that connected with Dobbiaco.
Historically it was mentioned for the first time in a document dated 1167, with the name of Castel Welsperg, which derives from surname of the noble Family that the administered these lands on behalf of the Counts of Gorizia. The work of draining the lake, completed in 1359 by Georg von Welsperg, made possible the colonization of the entire valley.
Besides being an ideal starting point for trips and excursions in Val Pusteria, Welsberg is the perfect destination for a holiday dedicated to wellness and relaxation, benefiting, at the same time, of its proximity to the slopes of the ski area Plan de Corones and the cross-trails of Val Casies.
Sites of Interest:
- the Welsperg Castle, situated on a hill, whose original structure dates from the Romanesque period, although it was greatly enlarged and modified in the following centuries, losing, almost completely, its original defensive function;
- the ruins of Castle Thurn, located on the right bank of the Rio di Casies, erected in the XIII century. Today of the original castle remains the watchtower - tall 22 meters.
- the Parish Church of Santa Margherita in Monguelfo, in Baroque style, which features within an altarpiece depicted by the artist Paul Troger, who was born here;
- the Rainkirche (the cemetery church), around which are still visible traces of an antique Roman wall;
- the Church of Saints Ingenuin and Albuin, in Taisten, which was originally built in Romanesque style, although over the centuries has been embellished with Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque decorative elements. Inside are preserved a series of precious frescoes, depicted by the artist Anton Zeiller (1770);
- the small Church of St. George, which was probably built around the year 800 and features a interesting series of frescoes on the outside walls of the building, including a crucifix, an image of the Saint and a sundial;
- the Shrine of Piazza Santa Margherita, erected by the inhabitants of the town, that survived an epidemic of plague, inside which it is still possible to admire the remains of frescoes by Michael Pacher;
- the Shrine of Tesido, with its four richly decorated niches.