Statue Menhir of Laces (Latsch)

The stela made of Lasa marble formed the supporting surface of the altar in the church "Unsere liebe Frau auf dem Bichl" (Our Lady on the Hill). Even then, the best Lasa marble was chosen for the menhir. The menhir itself was discovered in 1992 during restoration work in the church. Head and foot parts as well as parts of the left shoulder of the 107 cm high, 77 cm wide and 12 cm thick stone are missing. This unique monument was created in the late 4th to early 3rd millennium BC. That is the Copper Age, as the last period of the Stone Age is called. The Laces (Latsch) Menhir, like ten other South Tyrolean menhirs, belongs to the so-called Adige Valley (Etschtal) group of the Remedello culture. They have vertical stripes in common, which are interpreted as a representation of a fringed mantle. In addition to the iconographic features typical of the Adige (Etschtal) group (garland belts, pierced axes, daggers, clubs and bows), the Laces (Latsch) Menhir also features decorative elements of the Lombard Valcamonica group (sun, deer and stylised human figure). The Laces (Latsch) figure menhir is magnificent proof of the millennia-old connection between the Val Venosta (Vinschgau) and Adige (Etsch) valleys and the valleys of north-eastern Lombardy. Since 2017 the menhir of Laces (Latsch) has been on display in the church of St. Nicholas in Laces (Latsch).

Laces (Latsch), South Tyrol, 3,300 – 2,200 B.C.

Ort / Platz / Straße: St. Nikolauskirche
Weitere Informationen: Motive am Latscher Menhir

Marmor