In Val Monastero, at the Western end of the territory of South Tyrol, on the border with the Swiss Engadin (Graubünden), is located the small town of Tubre.
The name, attested as "Tuberis" in 881 and as "Duberis" in the year 888, was the subject of two different interpretations: according to a research, it derives from the Latin "tubernus" (pinaster), while other studies attest that the town's name leads back to pre-Roman times "tob-" (ravine).
The tiny town, ruled in the Middle Ages by the bishops of Chur and Trapp, was an obliged passageway to nearby Switzerland, in 1499 the town was destroyed after the battle of Calva, fought between the Imperial troops and the Swiss Grisons .
Surrounded by the mountain ranges of Sesvenna, Ötztaler and Ortles, and surrounded by the meadows and coniferous forests, Tubre offers to its visitors unforgettable views and a rejuvenating experience of hiking at high altitudes, and the possibility to practice skiing in nearby areas of Trafoi, Solda and Passo Stelvio.
With its narrow streets and old-world charm of its pre-Romanesque houses, distinguished by buildings with an upper wooden floor, this medieval village seems to be in some ways been free to the passage of time, despite its opening to tourism and the construction of new buildings .
Sites of Interest:
- the Parish Church of San Biagio, of Gothic origins, demolished and then rebuilt in the mid XVII century, with its wooden altar built in 1674;
- the Church of San Martino, rebuilt in 1493, where frescoes of Gothic period are preserved;
- the Church of San Giovanni, a Romanesque style building built in the XII century and later enlarged, and then be adapted to hospice in the early XIV century. Inside it is possible to admire Romanesque and Gothic frescoes, that date back to the XIII and XIV centuries;
- the Chapel of St. Michael, situated close to the cemetery, which since June 2000 houses the Parish Museum. Inside there are XV century frescoes and a series of wooden carvings collected from other churches of the area;
- the Rotund Castle, erected in X century, was originally owned by nobles of Rotund, but was later transferred to the Lords of Reichenberg, who did not retain its possession;
- the Castle of Reichenberg, that in the XII century became property of the Lords of Reichenberg, who attributed the name.