It is the oldest church of Val Gardena and at the same time the highest located church in Val Gardena: the S. Giacomo church is located above Ortisei, close to the village of S. Giacomo, and can only be reached on foot. Perhaps this is also the reason why the church is dedicated to the patron saint of hikers and pilgrims, St. James.
According to historical documents it is the oldest church in Val Gardena, dating back to the 12th century.
Legend has it that Jakob von Stättenecke, whose family had its castle right next to today’s St. James’ Church, went on a pilgrimage to Compostela in Spain. In Compostela, Count Jakob was unjustly condemned to death. When the Count of Galicia was informed of this, he was convinced of the young Jakob’s innocence and had him freed. As a thank you for being saved, Jakob then had the Church of St. James built.
At the end of the 14th century a fire caused the roof of this Romanesque church to collapse, but it was later rebuilt. This is probably the reason for the many Gothic elements in the roof, which can be found today. However, these were not the only changes and restorations that the church saw over the years. The core of the church, originally Romanesque, also underwent several architectural changes. Today the interior of the church is decorated mainly in Gothic and Baroque style. The church itself is 11.30 m long, 7.75 m wide and 8 m high.
Particularly interesting are the Gothic frescoes, the wall paintings near the pulpit and the Baroque altar with gilded figures. The sculptures and some objects on the altar are reproductions made by local artists, the precious originals are in the "Museum de Gherdëina" in Ortisei.
