The unique mural town of Mittenwald

Photography: YANG HEPING Text: AU

Driving around Germany from Berlin from north to south. Cross the Alps and take the country roads to Cremona, the hometown of the violin in Italy. Then turn back north and return to the mist-shrouded German town of Mittenwald in the Alps.

Mittenwald is more like a small village than a small town, with only a hundred or so households. It doesn't take long to walk from one end of town to the other. However, most of the houses in the village are century-old houses with a particularly medieval style. Behind the house are steep mountains.

So I came all the way to this small town because it is the hometown of the German violin. Although it cannot be compared with Cremona, there are many "hermits" in the village who close their doors and devote themselves to making violins. Through the windows of the old house, one can see the violins being made hanging inside. If you are interested, you can go inside and have a discussion with the violin maker.

Furthermore, this is also a famous mural village in Germany. It is said that the murals on the walls of houses all over the town are frescoes. The technique originated in Italy in the 13th century and was popular in Germany until the 18th century. It is often found in churches and palaces. Frescos are painted with water-soluble pigments. After the painting is completed, the color blends with the wall and can maintain the original color for a long time.

Each mural in Mittenwald tells a different story, such as fairy tales, folklore, life or religion, and is colorful. It is said that the murals are all painted by local residents. These small town "painters" use their hands and dreams to fill the walls and life with stories, creating their own town into a unique art world, attracting art lovers from all over the world. who.

(2020.12.01)