St. Veit's Church

Surrounded by a massive stone wall, the St. Veit Romanesque church is situated on the Tartscher Bichl hill near Mals/Malles, close to the birthplace of St. Florinus. This little church, perched on the bare round hump of mica slate, was built in the 11th century on a pre-Christian place of worship. To this day, the people of Tartsch/Tarces celebrate an archaic ritual to drive out winter known as “Scheibenschlagen.” The gentle hilltop can be reached on foot in a few minutes.

The nave of the church is flanked by a rare, unpartitioned tower from the 11th century. A Gothic fresco cycle from 1520 on the northern wall depicts the martyrdom of St. Vitus. The frescoes in the apse, such as Christ in the Mandorla or two sea monsters fighting each other, are from around 1200. The Gothic winged altar from the Engadine valley from the workshop of the sculptor Ivo Strigel is also valuable.

Numerous archaeological finds were found on the Tartscher Bichl hill, including a polished deer horn tip with Rhaetian runic writing and a Celtic sword.