The Name

Chiusa owes its name to the narrow natural passage formed between the cliff of Sabiona, the Isarco river and the Tinne stream.

Called “Clusa” from the Middle High German kluse, meaning closed (chiusa in Italian), since 1300 it has been called Klausen.



History
• 547-77 AD: first evidence of a bishop residing in Sabiona.

• 975: the episcopal see of Sabiona is moved to the plain of Bressanone for reasons of space and better accessibility.

• 1027: in a parchment of King Conrad II there appears the first mention of “Clausa” as being sub Sabione sita and a customs station. Thanks to the trade between the Latin and Germanic peoples, the road along the Isarco valley takes on major importance.

• 1308: Chiusa is called a Stadt (town) for the first time.

• 1350-1550: the small town enjoys its most prosperous period, due to the exploiting of the mines in the Tinne valley and its position on the commercial trade route. In the late 15th-early 16th centuries the buildings are improved with new decorative elements and new architectural solutions (Erker). Artisans and merchants organize themselves into guilds: the prestige of these guilds can be seen in their splendid insignia.

• 1686: the canon Matthias Jenner, pastor of Chiusa, founds the monastery of Sabiona.

• 1699: the construction of the Capuchin church and convent begins. Chiusa flourishes once again thanks to the exploiting of the mines of Fundres.

• 1867: with the opening of the Brennero railroad, a new period of prosperity begins.
Tourism brings in artists, attracted by news of the discovery of the birthplace of the greatest German medieval poet, Walther von der Vogelweide.

• 1874-1914: in this period more than 300 artists are living in Chiusa, since then known as the “Künstlerstädtchen”, the little town of artists.




A Medieval Gem set in the Alps

The long road passing through the town is the first attraction of Chiusa. Going from the old center of Città Alta (upper town) toward Città Bassa (lower town), the first historic buildings encountered are the Wegmacher house and the Church of the Apostles, Gothic in style with a single nave, built by the master builder-architect Jörg in the latter half of the 1400s. The Town Hall, the complex of the old Leone d’Oro hotel (today an elementary school), and the Episcopal Customs House, whose façade bears ten heraldic paintings of Bressanone bishops, are all from the late Middle Ages.

The characteristic crenellated front of the Albergo Walther von der Vogelweide towers over the surrounding buildings: formerly a customs office, it has been an inn since 1867. Another old inn is the former Albergo Agnello (Zum Lamm), first mentioned in 1460. Passing through the handsome vaulted arcade, one comes to the first floor and the “Walther Room,” the favorite meeting place of internationally famous artists in the latter half of the 1800s. Other important buildings are the Canonica (canon’s house), the courthouse, and the old town hall, also called the Casa al Cervo. Almost all of the houses in Città Alta are very narrow, and thus long from front to back to gain space. There is an enchanting view of the river from the back of these houses, with their gardens and balconies decked with flowers. Città Alta ends at Piazza Parrocchia, with the Church of Sant’Andrea, a late Gothic structure (1482-98) built over the remains of a previous Romanesque building, considered one of the most beautiful Gothic churches in South Tyrol.

Opposite the Sagrestano Tower is the Chapel of the Crypt, built in 1439.

Heading from the square back down toward the lower town, one notices the beautiful signs of the hotels. The small picturesque streets are named after the various trades and crafts. Among the most significant buildings are the former Orso Grigio hotel, the oldest inn in town (mentioned in 1335); the current home of the Cassa di Risparmio bank, going back to the late Middle Ages, with its characteristic Erker; the Caffè Nussbaumer (formerly the Croce Bianca hotel), where during the heyday of the Chiusa artists’ colony there was a special Künstlerstübele (artists’ room) set up with a unique art gallery.

Past the former Rosa hotel, Città Bassa ends at Piazza Tinne, picturesquely framed by old hotels, some of which are still operating.

On the other side of the Tinne there is a large public park, which holds the former Capuchin convent, now the home of the Civic Museum and the Civic Library. A bit farther ahead are the Church of the Cappuccini and the Chapel of Loreto, also part of the Capuchin convent complex. Worthy of a visit on the east bank of the Isarco are the Seebegg Residence, once the offices of the mining administration, the Canonica and the Griesbruck Residence. Lastly, there is Castel Branzoll on the west bank of the river, along the path that leads to Sabiona.

The visit continues following an old path with the Stations of the Cross (30 min. walk), to the Convent of Sabiona, whose considerable bulk occupies the upper part of the rock spur overlooking the village.

The monastery, which was completed in 1686, stands with the Church of the Convent and the Church of Santa Croce over the ruins of a previous complex destroyed by fire in 1533. In the direction of the castle there is the Church of Nostra Signora (1652-58).




Local Products

Excellent wines can be enjoyed at the Cantina Produttori Valle Isarco.

In Chiusa, speck (smoked prosciutto) and typical Tyrolese sausages, salamis, etc. bear the famous Gasser brand.



Local dishes
The typical Tyrolese menu might begin with an appetizer of speck and local cold cuts, followed by a first course of ravioli from the Isarco valley, or else Knödel (also known as canederli, a kind of large dumpling), then goulash or pork loin with sauerkraut for a main course, and finally a generous slice of strudel, or buckwheat cake with red whortleberries.