Wood carving in the Val Gardena

The artistry of the Val Gardena woodcarvers is well known far beyond South Tyrol, and especially their cribs and the figures of the saints are popular and highly esteemed collectibles.

It all began around the middle of the 17th century. At that time, Val Gardena was still a remote, difficult-to-reach high valley, where agriculture only allowed for a modest living. Especially in the long winter months, an additional source of income was needed to ensure survival, so hand-carved equipment for the home and farm was produced, tools, household utensils, and toys. In spring, these products were taken out into the world to be sold at fairs and markets. Soon, decorative items were added, such as picture frames or clock cases. Since these sold particularly well, the Val Gardena carvers increasingly turned to more artistic, especially sacred themes, and crucifixes, figures of saints, stations of the cross, and of course the first cribs were created. The woodcarvers of Val Gardena quickly gained great skill, and their works became increasingly popular.

Even today, woodcarving in the Val Gardena valley is an important economic factor. Sacred works of art are produced as well as secular or purely decorative carvings. A central motif is still the Christmas cribs, which are executed in many different styles: from ancient classical to modern. A crib from the Val Gardena valley is a very special asset for anyone who appreciates craftsmanship. It can be expanded and changed over and over again, and new discoveries can be made, so that the whole family will derive a lot of joy from it.

The proportion of manual work is crucial for the quality, which also sets it apart from machine-made products. Hand-carved carvings from the Val Gardena valley are therefore marked with their own metal plaque from the Chamber of Commerce. This trademark is a certificate for completely and exclusively hand-carved woodcarvings of the highest quality.

The Gherdëina Museum in Ortisei has an extensive collection of Val Gardena woodcarving art. A tour through 4 centuries provides an overview of the development and expressive power of the Val Gardena carvings, and numerous precious exhibits prove the high artistry from the beginnings to the present day.

Also worth seeing is the life-size crib in Santa Cristina. It is considered the world's largest wood-carved crib, and a new piece is added every year during Advent. This unique work of art – a joint production of several Val Gardena master carvers – can then be admired at the Iman Sports Center in the center of Santa Cristina.