Paul Flora - Glorenza Church Tower

Glorenza is not only the smallest town in the southern Alps, but also the birthplace of a famous artist: Paul Flora. The illustrator and caricaturist was born here on June 29, 1922. For 25 years, he drew caricatures for the weekly newspaper "Die Zeit" and designed stage sets for theatres throughout the German-speaking world, including Kleist's "Amphitryon" at the Vienna Akademietheater (1963) and Ionesco's "Exit the King" at the Deutsches Schauspielhaus in Hamburg (1998). Although Paul Flora left Glorenza in his childhood and grew up in North Tyrol, he remained connected to his hometown throughout his life. Here, he found his final resting place in 2009.

You can discover his life and work in a unique setting: the Glorenza Church Tower (Kirchtorturm Glurns), also known as Tubre Gate Tower, integrated into the medieval town walls. Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, commissioned the fully preserved fortified wall with its gates and defensive towers in the 16th century, creating a ten-metre-high bulwark.

The permanent exhibition "Paul Flora - Life and Work" presents 60 of his works, along with photographs of the artist, who gained recognition across Europe for his subtle drawings. Just a few minutes' walk from the Glorenza Church Tower, you'll find the restored town mill with its functioning water wheel and the remnants of a fresco depicting the former guild sign of the millers (two lions with a mill wheel), as well as the Sluderno Gate Tower.

How to get to the Glorenza Church Tower: It is near the town square, where the bus stop is located. Ample parking is available outside the town walls.