Franciscan Friary Innichen

Franciscan Friary Innichen is a religious monastery in South Tyrol built with solid stone walls and a prominent bell tower featuring divided windows. The interior contains three separate church aisles and houses an important collection of artworks spanning multiple periods.

The monastery was founded in 1221 and underwent several rebuilding phases over the centuries that expanded and modernized the complex. The distinctive bell tower, which was completed in the 1320s, marks an important architectural milestone in the community's development.

The name reflects the Franciscan tradition of simplicity and spiritual poverty that continues to shape monastic life here today. Visitors can sense these values in the plain furnishings of the rooms and in the quiet, focused atmosphere throughout the complex.

The friary is located at Via dei Canonici 1A in Innichen and remains accessible as an active religious community for respectful visitors. The best time to visit is outside prayer times when the monks are engaged in their daily duties.

The church within the complex stands as one of the few surviving Romanesque structures in the Eastern Alps and demonstrates the early architectural language of the region. This distinction makes it an overlooked testament to medieval building traditions that surprises many visitors.