Novacella Abbey

Novacella Abbey is an Augustinian abbey in the municipality of Varna in the northern Italian province of South Tyrol. It was elevated to the status of a basilica in May 1956 and received the honorific of a basilica minor by Pope Pius XII.
The history of the monastery dates back to 1140s, when Blessed Hartman was appointed head of the bishopric of Brixen. A 45-minute drive west of the abbey is the Brenner Pass, one of the principal passes through the Alps. For thousands of years, its low altitude and relatively temperate weather have provided a route connecting Germanic Europe to Italy via the Isarco river valley. During the Holy Roman Empire, the road crossed the Brenner Pass, allowing armies, merchants, and pilgrims to traverse the mountain range. By the 10th century, the settlement of Prihsna, later known as Brixen, had sprung up, which became a stronghold of the Catholic Church. The Bishop of Brixen assumed that pilgrims from the north on their way to Rome would stop at the monastery. Construction began in 1142, the same year Bishop Hartmann consecrated the monastery church of Novacella. On April 9, 1143, the possessions of the monastery were legalized by Pope Innocent II. While other orders and their abbeys were isolated, the Augustinians placed their monasteries along roads so that they could be a shelter for travelers.

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