About Funes (Val di Funes/Villnöß), Italy:
Funes (Val di Funes/Villnöß) is an idyllic, environmentally-focused valley and municipality in South Tyrol, northern Italy, bordering Austria and Switzerland.
Famous for the dramatic jagged peaks of the Geisler/Odle mountain group, it serves as a gateway to the Puez-Geisler Nature Park.
Funes and is renowned for sustainable tourism, traditional farming, and stunning, unspoiled alpine landscapes.
About The Church of San Giovanni in Ranui:
The church of San Giovanni in Ranui is dedicated to Saint John of Nepomuk (feast day May 16). This part of the Ranui Hof property and stands out in the green meadows surrounding the farm. The small church of Ranui in the heart of the beautiful Dolomitic mountain landscape is certainly one of the most photographed sites of South Tyrol. The Baroque chapel dedicated to Saint John of Nepomuk stands proudly beneath the peaks of the Odle range. It features a pitched roof covered with shingles, a three-sided choir and a bell tower standing at the north-eastern corner of the building, whose onion dome covered in copper is crowned by a star.
The facade of the entrance is richly decorated and has a fresco depicting the church’s patron saint. The inscription on the facade of the small church of San Giovanni in Ranui, “erected by Michael Jenner in 1744”, was probably affixed by his descendants, given that Michael Jenner died in 1723. His two sons had died before him, while his niece Maria Barbara who in 1720 had married Georg von Mayerl from Bolzano still lived and inherited Ranui along with her cousin Joseph Anton Jenner who had often stayed at Ranui. It was Joseph Anton Jenner who had the small church built.
The barrel vault inside the small Baroque church has a fresco depicting scenes from the life of Saint John Nepomuk. A cycle of 9 paintings on the side walls is dedicated to the life of the saint and confers solemnity to the space inside.
The most beautiful ornament of the church is the marbled wood altar with two paintings worthy of particular attention. The largest painting shows St John Nepomuk presenting his tongue to the Child Jesus, sitting on the Virgin’s lap, in sign of silence and as the cause of his martyrdom.
The barrel vault inside the small Baroque church has a fresco depicting scenes from the life of Saint John Nepomuk. A cycle of 9 paintings on the side walls is dedicated to the life of the saint and confers solemnity to the space inside.
The most beautiful part of the church is the marbled wood altar with two paintings worthy of particular attention. The largest painting shows St John Nepomuk presenting his tongue to the Child Jesus, sitting on the Virgin’s lap, in sign of silence and as the cause of his martyrdom.
Traveling to Funes, Italy:
By air: you should first fly into Venice, Verona, or Milan, and take a train to the northern hubs of Bolzano or Brixen (Bressanone). From there, you can easily catch local Bus 330 or drive directly into the valley.
By train or bus:Travel by train to the Bressanone/Brixen train station, which is connected to major cities like Bolzano, Verona, Venice, and Innsbruck. Walk outside the Bressanone station to the main bus terminal and catch Bus 330 (bound for Zanser Alm) for the scenic 35-minute trip.
Visiting The Church of San Giovanni in Ranui in Funes, Italy:
Address: S. Giovanni, 2, 39040 Funes BZ, Italy.