Saint Proculus church, Religious building in Naturns, Italy
Saint Proculus church is a small place of worship in Naturns, in the South Tyrol region of northern Italy. Its interior walls are covered with frescoes from two distinct periods, pre-Carolingian and Gothic, making it one of the oldest painted churches in the area.
The church was built between 630 and 650, on the site of an earlier residential building. It was dedicated to Saint Proculus, a bishop of Verona who lived during the late Roman period.
One of the frescoes shows Saint Proculus sitting on a swing, with a dog herding cattle nearby. This kind of image shows how medieval painters mixed religious figures into everyday rural life.
The church is open from March through October, which is the best time to visit the interior. A small museum next to the building displays finds from local excavations and is worth a look before or after entering the church.
Excavations near the church uncovered skeletal remains of people who died during a severe epidemic in the 17th century. The find gives a sobering picture of how hard that crisis hit the local community.
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