Unsere Liebe Frau in Valiertegg, Mountain church in Graun im Vinschgau, Italy
Unsere Liebe Frau in Valiertegg is a pilgrimage chapel near Reschen am See in the municipality of Graun im Vinschgau, built in 1885/86. It has a rectangular plan with a small rounded apse on the east side, whitewashed brick walls reinforced at the corners with sandstone blocks in a toothed pattern, a round window above the entrance and a slender square roof turret with a pointed spire. Inside, a barrel vault covers walls painted with ornamental, scroll and interlace patterns from the late 19th century.
According to oral tradition, a farmer vowed in 1775 to build a wayside shrine after his two children survived a hay wagon accident above the Valliertschlucht. The weathered shrine was replaced in 1885/86 by the present chapel, built slightly away from the accident site because of landslide risk. The parish of St. Sebastian Reschen had it consecrated to Our Lady, and a 14-station Way of the Cross was added from the village in 1895. The chapel was placed under monument protection on 23 April 1982 and restored in 1983.
The chapel is the goal of processions of petition and thanks that have followed the 1895 Stations of the Cross up from Reschen every year. Its interior is hung with votive pictures left as offerings of thanks. The most popular pilgrimage is the walk on New Year's Eve, when the new year is greeted with prayer and singing in the silence of the forest.
The church is accessible via marked hiking trails from Graun im Vinschgau and requires moderate uphill walking. It is best to wear sturdy footwear and bring weather-appropriate clothing, as conditions at this elevation can change quickly.
The chapel was built in 1885/86 away from the original 1775 accident site because of landslide risk there. Under the gable the dates "A.D.1883" and "R. 1983" record construction and the major restoration; a large wooden cross outside commemorates a second haymaking accident at the Valliertschlucht in 1991.
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