Franz Tavella (

La Val La Val ( ; ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the province of South Tyrol in northern Italy, located about northeast of the city of Bolzano. Geography As of 30 November 2010, it had a population of 1,307 and an area of .All demographics and o ...

, 10 October 1844 –

Brixen Brixen (; , ; or , ) is a town and communes of Italy, commune in South Tyrol, northern Italy, located about north of Bolzano. Geography Brixen is the third-largest city and oldest town in the province, with a population of nearly twenty-three t ...

, 12 December 1931) was a Ladin master wood sculptor active in the

Austro-Hungarian Empire Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military and diplomatic alliance, it consist ...

and the

Kingdom of Italy The Kingdom of Italy (, ) was a unitary state that existed from 17 March 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 10 June 1946, when the monarchy wa ...

Biography

Franz Tavella was the son of Marianna Spisser and Filipp Tavella, who was a renowned wood sculptor as well. Franz during his youth worked under his father as a regular carpenter. At a later time he moved to

Val Gardena Val Gardena (; ; ) is a valley in the Dolomites of South Tyrol, Northern Italy. It is best known as a tourist skiing, rock climbing, and woodcarving area. Geography The valley's main river is the Derjon, a tributary of the Eisack river. The ...

, where the founder of the school of art of

Urtijëi Urtijëi (; ; ) is a town of 4,637 inhabitants in South Tyrol in northern Italy. It occupies the Val Gardena within the Dolomites, a mountain chain that is part of the Alps. Geography Urtijëi borders the following municipalities: Kastelruth, V ...

, Ferdinand Demetz, noticed his artistic talent and decided to take him as a pupil teaching him the art wood carving. After a few years Tavarella moved to

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

, where for two years he attended the

Academy of Fine Arts The following is a list of notable art schools. Accredited non-profit art and design colleges * Adelaide Central School of Art * Alberta College of Art and Design * Art Academy of Cincinnati * Art Center College of Design * The Art Institute ...

, his main mentor was Professor König. In 1895 in

Innsbruck Innsbruck (; ) is the capital of Tyrol (federal state), Tyrol and the List of cities and towns in Austria, fifth-largest city in Austria. On the Inn (river), River Inn, at its junction with the Wipptal, Wipp Valley, which provides access to the ...

he was given an award for his statue representing

Saint Anne According to apocrypha, as well as Christianity, Christian and Islamic tradition, Saint Anne was the mother of Mary, mother of Jesus, Mary, the wife of Joachim and the maternal grandmother of Jesus. Mary's mother is not named in the Bible's Gosp ...

and the holy virgin

Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a female given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religion * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also called the Blesse ...

, which is now kept in the church of Pieve di Livinallongo. In 1897 he was given an award in

Bolzano Bolzano ( ; ; or ) is the capital city of South Tyrol (officially the province of Bolzano), Northern Italy. With a population of 108,245, Bolzano is also by far the largest city in South Tyrol and the third largest in historical Tyrol. The ...

and in 1900 in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

at the

world exposition A world's fair, also known as a universal exhibition, is a large global exhibition designed to showcase the achievements of nations. These exhibitions vary in character and are held in different parts of the world at a specific site for a perio ...

for his

Pietà The Pietà (; meaning "pity", "compassion") is a subject in Christian art depicting the Mary (mother of Jesus), Blessed Virgin Mary cradling the mortal body of Jesus Christ after his Descent from the Cross. It is most often found in sculpture. ...

, nowadays kept in the chapel of the public cemetery of

. In his workshop in Ortisei he tutored many renowned sculptors including Johann Baptist Moroder-Lusenberg, Rudolf Moroder, Ludwig Moroder from Urtijëi and

Valentin Gallmetzer Valentin Gallmetzer (February 9, 1870, Obereggen, Deutschnofen – January 16, 1958, Klausen) was a Tyrolean gothic revival sculptor, a pupil of Franz Tavella. In 1901 he entered the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. Many of his works decorate c ...

from Klausen. In 1905 Tavella moved to

, where he died in poverty and sickness.

Renowned works

In the province of Bolzano

, church of Francescani,

Saint Joseph According to the canonical Gospels, Joseph (; ) was a 1st-century Jewish man of Nazareth who was married to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and was the legal father of Jesus. Joseph is venerated as Saint Joseph in the Catholic Church, Eastern O ...

. he sculpted a wooden statue of Saint Magdalen for the Ca'de Bezzi Family. * Kollmann, Parochial Church, several statues. * Atzwang, Saint Joseph's parochial church, the group of the rosary 1905. * Lengstein (

Ritten Ritten (; ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in South Tyrol in northern Italy. Territory The community is named after the high plateau, elevation , the Ritten or the Renon, on which most of the villages are located. The plateau forms the southe ...

), parochial church, saints on the altars 1885; queen of the rosary, procession. * Tramin - Söll, the church of S. Maurice, Virgin with baby Jesus on the altar. * St. Felix parochial church. * Tiers, parochial church of St. George, Saint George, Saint Elizabeth and Sant'Agnese 1906 (facade) *

, graveyard, Pietà. *

Gsies Gsies (; ) is a valley and ''comune'' (municipality) in South Tyrol in northern Italy, located about northeast of Bolzano, on the border with Austria. Gsies held the FIL World Luge Natural Track Championships 1994. Geography As of 30 November ...

, the church of St. Magdalena, Pietà. *

Sterzing Sterzing (; ) is a comune in South Tyrol in northern Italy. It is the main town of the southern Wipptal, and the Eisack River flows through the medieval town. It is one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia ("The most beautiful villages of Italy"). Hi ...

, iron soldier- his shield was designed by Prof. H. Lach.

Ladinia Ladinia is a neologism used to describe an Alpine region in the Dolomites mountain range of Northern Italy, divided between the Italian provinces of Belluno, South Tyrol, and Trentino. The area takes its name from its inhabitants, the Ladin peo ...

* Pieve di Livinallongo, Sant'Anna and the holy virgin. * Badia, Sant'Anna. *

, the heart of Jesus. *

, Pidrô, chapel, virgin and Bernadetta in the cave. * Badia, S. Croce sanctuary: two medallions with the Pietà and the Getsemani. * La Ila, parochial church, virgin with the holy child. * La Pli de Mareo parochial church, San Giuseppe, Sant'Anna and Mary. * Cadin-

Ampezzo Ampezzo (; ) is a (municipality) in the Regional decentralization entity of Udine in the Italian region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, located about northwest of Trieste and about northwest of Udine. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of ...

, chapel of the virgin of well being, sculpture in granite.

Other regions

* Castelnuovo, the church of Santa Margherita, statue of Santa Margherita on the main altar. ** Parrocchiale of San Leonardo, Virgin of the Rosary 1894. *

Borgo Valsugana Borgo Valsugana (''El Bórgo'' in local dialect) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in Trentino in the northern Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about east of Trento. Borgo Valsugana borders the following municipalities: Telve, ...

, the nativity, virgin of the rosary. *

Sovere Sovere (Bergamasque: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the province of Bergamo in the Italian region of Lombardy, located about northeast of Milan and about northeast of Bergamo. Sovere borders the following municipalities: Bossico, Cerete, ...

church of San Martino vescovo: redeeming christ 1901

Abroad

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

, Chácara Nazareth: Sagrado Coração de Jesus - Igreja dos Frades. several works. *

Brandenburg Brandenburg, officially the State of Brandenburg, is a States of Germany, state in northeastern Germany. Brandenburg borders Poland and the states of Berlin, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony. It is the List of Ger ...

church of Teltow. Altar with cross.Adele Moroder de Lenèrt: 'N memoria de Rudolf Moroder de Lenert do 50 ani che 'l i.e. tumà tla gran viëra mondiela 1914. Calënder de Gherdëina 1965, Union di Ladins de Gherdëina, St. Ulrich 1964. pages 29-31. (Ladin)

Images

File:Saint-Joseph-Tavella.jpg, Saint Joseph in the church of Francescani in

File:Saint-Joseph-Atzwang-2.jpg, Saint Joseph in the church of Campodazzo/Renon File:Rosary-Madonna-Atzwang.jpg, the virgin of the rosary in the church of Campodazzo/Renon

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tavella, Franz 1844 births 1931 deaths Sculptors from Austria-Hungary Italian sculptors 20th-century Italian sculptors 19th-century Italian sculptors People from La Val Ladin people