San Gian church Celerina

Celerina was once a farming village where, for many young people, emigration to the large European cities represented the only escape from the bare mountain valley. What they learnt from their worldly contacts in the European cities came in useful at home from 1860 onwards, since when Celerina has welcomed guests from all over the world. At some distance from the village, on a hilltop, stands the former parish church, San Gian. Parts of the nave, the choir as well as the smaller tower, date back to the time around 1100. The tower of the old church is overshadowed by its larger successor from the Late Gothic era. On entering the church, the visitor is greeted by a multitude of forms and colours. The painted ceiling dating from 1478, with its pointed arches and tracery, still adheres to the Gothic use of forms. The wall paintings, in contrast, originate from the Langobard Early Renaissance. The larger church tower was hit by lightning in 1682. Its spire went up in flames and was not rebuilt as there had been a bell tower in the village since 1669. Nevertheless, the silhouette of San Gian has become a landmark for Celerina’s.

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