Events In The City: International Holocaust Remembrance Day and Valentine's Day 

International Holocaust Remembrance Day 

As usual, Bolzano Bolzano offers various gatherings and initiatives to commemorate the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, observed every year on January 27th. The official ceremonies follow a city route that recalls tragic events. The program begins at 11:00 AM with a wreath-laying ceremony in Via Resia-Reschenstraße, where the transit camp for prisoners being sent to extermination camps used to be located (at number 80). The procession with local and provincial authorities will then continue to the Jewish Cemetery and the Oltrisarco Cemetery, where a brief and poignant commemoration will take place at 11:45 AM. The final stop will be in Via Pacinotti, in the industrial zone, where a wreath will be laid at the Deportation Monument. Many local schools and associations will also hold events to honor this day and keep the memory alive through various artistic disciplines.

Valentine’s Day: Bolzano Bozen’s Heartfelt Places

Bolzano Bozen is known for its entrepreneurial spirit and has been the city of wine and trade for centuries. However, it also hides some unexpected places that reveal its more romantic soul. For Valentine's Day on February 14th, Bozano shows its own version of St. Valentine, portrayed in a magnificent and enormous painting in the large Auction Hall of Palazzo Mercantile in Bolzano (the only hall large enough to house it). The origin of the painting is quite special. It does not depict the famous Bishop of Terni, as the worldwide legend suggests, but rather St. Valentine of Mais. Originally from what we now call the Netherlands, he was ordained bishop by Pope Leo the Great and assigned to the Diocese of Rhaetia, covering an area between St. Gotthard, Chur, Brixen, Regensburg, and Passau. He died around 475 as a hermit on Zenoberg (Mount San Zeno near Merano).

In addition to the stunning painting of St. Valentine, Palazzo Mercantile houses another piece of history connecting Bolzano with love. It is worth remembering that the city briefly hosted the most famous seducer of all time: Giacomo Casanova. In the extensive archive of the well-known Bozner merchant of the time, Georg Menz (also preserved at Palazzo Mercantile), a letter of reminder was found addressed to the Venetian adventurer for a debt payment. Fleeing from the Piombi prison, Casanova stayed in Bolzano for a while to refresh his wardrobe and, likely, left behind some broken hearts as well as some unpaid debts! Just minutes from the city center, what is called the "Illustrated Castle", Castel Roncolo, holds the largest secular fresco cycle of the Middle Ages. Among the frescoes are depictions of Tristan and Isolde, the protagonists of one of the most heartbreaking love legends in history.

The Bolzano Bozen Tourism Board will organize thematic guided tours on Saturday, February 14th and Sunday, February 15th to discover the romantic places in the city, ending with an aperitif on the terrace of Restaurant Meta.

Guided Tour Schedule and Program
Saturday, February 14th, at 2:30 PM
Sunday, February 15th, at 10:30 AM and 2:30 PM

Itinerary:

• Starting point: Walther Square under the monument of Walther von der Vogelweide: Love Poems
• Palazzo Menz and the frescoes by C. Henrici on the theme of love
• Passaggio Menz: Annette, the French bride
• Mercato delle Erbe: Hotel Sonne and Casanova, the establishments
• Via della Roggia: “House of Women”
• Civic Museum: The object of the month at the Bozen Civic Museum “Horn Spoon: Small Treasures of Love”
• Palazzo Mercantile: Auction Hall and Honor Hall
• Palais Campofranco: History of Archduke Henry and Leopoldina

Image: Runkelstein Castle, Courtesy Campanile