Gries

Gries is an interesting district of Bolzano, with a separate life from the rest of the city. To be precise we should call it village, since it was originally a separate municipality existing already in the 12th century. Gries was controlled by a nobiliar family coming from Tyrol while Bolzano was administered by a bishop, and they were therefore in contraposition. Gries was later encapsulated inside Bolzano after its expansion at the beginning of the 20th century and legally fused during fascist time. Still coming from the centre of Bolzano, you can clearly see the different layout and architecture of this particular district. In fact, before reaching Gries, you have to pass the Victory square and the fascist district with its linear architecture, before entering this pleasant hamlet.

The main attraction of Gries is its Baroque church dedicated to Saint Augustine, built in the second half of the 18th century: it’s one of the finest examples of Baroque architecture in the whole region. Next to it is the palace of Muri-Gries, originally the residence of the Prince of Gries, and now owned by the Swiss branch of the Benedictine Order that converted it into a monastery. Not far away from Saint Augustine is another interesting gothic church, called ‘Vecchia Parrocchiale di Gries’, where a beautiful wooden altar and crucifix are displayed. The surroundings of Gries are dominated by vineyards, wineries and big countryside houses, a nice relaxing walk to end the day.