Church of Sta Maria Pontresina

Until 1900 Pontresina was mainly a farming village, with its houses lining the main road, in the northern foothills of the Bernina Pass. Probably owing to its situation on a south-facing slope and its vicinity to the Bernina glaciers, it has developed into one of the major resorts in the Engadine. Above the village, at the edge of the woods, is the Church of Sta Maria and the Spaniola Tower. The church dates back to the period around 1200, it was extended in the 15th century and inside boasts wall paintings from two epochs. As in the case of the Sogn Gieri Church in Rhäzüns, the interior is completely covered with wall paintings. In around 1230 the west wall belonging to the older part of the building was painted in the Italo-Byzantine style. Following classical traditions, in the representation of the baptism the River God Jordan was shown with an amphora on his shoulders. In 1495 the church interior was painted by an Upper Italian paintingworkshop, which was also active in San Gian, Celerina. There were originally 36 scenes from the Life of Christ, a Last Judgement and 18 paintings of the Magdalenian legend, which have been almost totally preserved

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