Capuchin monastery in Klausen

The convent building of the monastery

Figure of the church patron Felix of Cantalice above the portal

View of the entire facility

The Capuchin Monastery in Klausen , the Roman Catholic Capuchin Church and the Loreto Chapel form an important ensemble southwest of the center of the town of Klausen in South Tyrol ( Italy ). The church is dedicated to Saint Felix of Cantalice , patron saint of the Capuchin Order . The complex is a listed building and can be visited as part of the Klausen Museum .

history

The establishment of the Capuchin monastery and the construction of the church go back to Capuchin Father Gabriel Pontifeser (1653–1706). As a confessor, he induced the Spanish Queen Maria Anna to found this monastery. The monastery and church were built between 1699 and 1701 and were occupied by the order. In 1702/1703 the nearby Loreto Chapel was built. In 1972 the order left the monastery.

The buildings were acquired by the city of Klausen, which set up the city museum and library here. The museum exhibits the Loreto treasure, a collection of paintings and sacred art objects from the monastery property. The works of art were given to the monastery when it was founded by the Spanish royal family.

Building description

The monastery and church form a compact complex on the south-western outskirts of Klausen. The church has a small roof turret instead of a tower. Above the entrance is a statue of the church patron Saint Felix framed by the coat of arms of the donor Queen Maria Anna of Spain. To the side of the entrance is a Loreto grotto with a Madonna surrounded by Peter and Maria Magdalena.

Inside, the ceiling of the single-nave church is vaulted with a simple barrel vault. Opposite the entrance is the clearly indented choir. The high altar in the choir shows a painting of St. Felix. It was created by Paolo Pagini together with the altar in the side chapel . The side altar shows Saints Francis and Anthony of Padua with the baby Jesus. At the front of the nave to the side of the choir there are two more altars. One shows the Holy Trinity with Mary and Antony. It comes from an unknown artist. The other altar shows the Saints Anna , Maria and Joachim . This was created by Stefano Maria Legnani. This altar shows great similarities with the altar in the Church of Mary of San Celso in Milan, which was created by the same artist.

The former convent building is on the side of the church. It is a compact structure that encloses the cloister of the monastery. The simple facade of the two-story building is crowned by a steep pitched roof. Today the city museum of Klausen is located here.

A few meters southwest of the monastery and church is the Loreto Chapel, a replica of the Holy House of Nazareth that stands in Loreto .

Web links

Commons : Capuchin monastery, Church of St. Felix of Cantalicio and Loreto Chapel - collection of images, videos and audio files

Entry in the monument browser on the website of the South Tyrolean Monuments Office
Klausen Tourist Office: Capuchin Church (accessed on September 22, 2013)
Kulturgüterverein Klausen: Former Capuchin monastery (accessed on September 22, 2013)
Kulturgüterverein Klausen: City Museum and Loreto Treasure (accessed on September 22, 2013)
Kulturgüterverein Klausen: Loreto Chapel (accessed on September 22, 2013)

46.63881 11.563247Coordinates: 46 ° 38 ′ 19.7 " N , 11 ° 33 ′ 47.7" E