Church of Santa Maria Antica

The Church of santa Maria Antica is one of the most important historical monuments in Madonna di Campiglio, a small town in the Trentino Alto Adige Region, known above all as a skiing resort.

The first written traces regarding the antique Church date back to the year 1180 and are contained in a letter sent to the Bishop of Trento by Corrado II da besano. The Church of santa Maria Antica was founded in the 12th century as a small chapel destined to prayer and restoration, but because of the high confluence of faithful, the sacred place quickly grew until it became a true Sanctuary.

the external parts of the Church were successively enriched by many precious works of art donated by the Casa d'Austria, who had chosen Madonna di Campiglio as their Summer residence.

The Church we see nowadays is very different from that of the past centuries as it was reconstructed in 1894 on the same site occupied by the old Sanctuary, demolished at the end of the 19th century as it had fallen into decadence. The outside of the new Church presents a very simple facade and a small Gothic-style belfry. The inside hosts one single nave due to the modest dimensions of the building which, however, hosts many very valued works of art like the antique Crucifix which dates back to the 12th century, and the triptych of the Madonna with Baby and Saint, which may have been painted by Maestro Narciso's School in the late Gothic era.

If one intends staying in the area of the Church of Santa Maria Antica it is possible to reserve a room in one of the numerous hotels in and around Madonna di Campiglio where there are also many apartments to rent. Notwithstanding the size of this small town of 700 inhabitants, the Municipality of Madonna di Campiglio is equipped to welcome tourists because it is a renowned skiing resort.