File:St. Jakob in Pfitsch Alte Pfarrkirche 08.JPG

English:  Italy, South Tirol, St. Jakob in Innerpfitsch, Alte Pfarrkirche. The Old Parish church is situated at the end of the Pfitschtal and is dedicated to St. James the patron saint of travellers and pilgrims. The church is mentioned for the first time in the protocol of the pastoral visit in 1577. According to the protocol of 1653 the church had two altars: one dedicated to the apostle James and the other to the Virgin. In the 1707 the church was enlarged, the bell tower raised and consecrated once again on July 1st, 1714. The church was renovated in 1789 with a barrel vault ceiling decorated with frescoes representing St. James on a horseback who travels to Spain to fight against the Saracens. In the same period were painted six medallions representing the apostles Simon and Thomas, St. Nicholas, St. Martin, St. Sylvester and St. Sebastian. Inside take place a decorated pulpit, the two statues on the main altar and two altarpieces representing Our Lady of Sorrow and the suffering Christ. Particular attention should be paid to the church door decorated with ornamental carving marked by the wind and the weather. The night of February 28, 1817 an avalanche detached from Kraxentrager damaged the church. During the summer the curate Jakob Isidor Prantl made the church repaired and on October 13, 1817 was reopened to the faithful. After the avalanche the population considered the place no more safe and was decided to build a new one in another position. The new church was built between 1821 and 1824 under the direction of Jakob Isidor Prantl. The old church underwent restoration works in the years: 1987, 1997 and 1999.