Sigmundskron Castle, Bolzano, Italy

Sigmundskron Castle (Castel Firmiano) is an extensive castle and set of fortifications near Bolzano in South Tyrol. The first historical mention of the castle dates back to AD 945. In 1027 Emperor Conrad II transferred it to the Bishop of Trent. In the 12th century it was given to ministeriales, who from then on were named the Firmian family. Around 1473 the Prince of Tyrol, Duke Sigismund the Rich, bought the castle, renamed it Sigmundskron Castle and had it developed to withstand firearms. Of the old castle there are only a few remnants left today, mostly located on the highest point of the site. Due to financial difficulties Sigmund had to pledge the castle soon afterwards. As a result the site fell increasingly into disrepair.

At the end of the 18th century the castle belonged to the Count Wolkenstein, from 1807 to 1870 the counts of Sarnthein and from then until 1994 the counts of Toggenburg. In 1976, the half-ruined castle was partially restored by an innkeeper's family and opened as a restaurant. In 1996 the castle passed into the possession of the Province of Bolzano. In the spring of 2003, after much controversy, Reinhold Messner was given a licence for his long-planned mountain museum.

During construction work a Neolithic grave was discovered in March 2006, in which a woman's skeletal remains were found. The age of the grave is estimated to be 6,000-7,000 years.

The fortress is an important political symbol in South Tyrol. In 1957, under the leadership of Silvius Magnago, the largest protest rally in the history of South Tyrol was held here. More than 30,000 gathered in the castle to protest against the failure of the Paris Convention to protest and demand freedom for South Tyrol.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

Stephanie van dalen (5 months ago)
Connecting mountain and people, very nice museum and good exhibition, worthy for the price

MOHE FLORENCE (7 months ago)
This was our last visit in Italy. We’re glad to have stopped by to visit this museum. There is so much to see and learn about alpines. I highly recommend this place!

Yann-Guillaume Jaccard (9 months ago)
The concept of the Museum is great. You walk up and down quite a bit to visit all parts of it, mimicking a mountain ascent. The castle hosting the Museum would be of interest in and itself (nice view over the city of Bolzano) and a lot of exhibits are interesting if you are into mountaineering. The Museum leaves quite a lot of room to the spiritual aspect of the mountains and not just about the technical aspect of climbing them. Even though there are tributes to other mountaineers in the Museum, it still felt too much like an ego trip (hence the 4*). This is strongly felt in the Museum shop where you can purchase 50 different Messner books but not a single book from another mountaineer. Sad.

Dundee Bud (10 months ago)
We visited this with German friends who were familiar with Messner. By using the Bolzano Pass, we had free entry to the site. You need to be able to climb steps to get the most out of the museum. It's worth a visit.

Royal Mangalitsa (2 years ago)
We thought we would make a quick stop but there is so much to see!!! You will need at least 4-5 hours plus good shoes and some condition! Amazing museum we have to come back next year with way more time :-)

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Monte d'Accoddi

Monte d"Accoddi is a Neolithic archaeological site in northern Sardinia, located in the territory of Sassari. The site consists of a massive raised stone platform thought to have been an altar. It was constructed by the Ozieri culture or earlier, with the oldest parts dated to around 4,000–3,650 BC.

The site was discovered in 1954 in a field owned by the Segni family. No chambers or entrances to the mound have been found, leading to the presumption it was an altar, a temple or a step pyramid. It may have also served an observational function, as its square plan is coordinated with the cardinal points of the compass.

The initial Ozieri structure was abandoned or destroyed around 3000 BC, with traces of fire found in the archeological evidence. Around 2800 BC the remains of the original structure were completely covered with a layered mixture of earth and stone, and large blocks of limestone were then applied to establish a second platform, truncated by a step pyramid (36 m × 29 m, about 10 m in height), accessible by means of a second ramp, 42 m long, built over the older one. This second temple resembles contemporary Mesopotamian ziggurats, and is attributed to the Abealzu-Filigosa culture.

Archeological excavations from the chalcolithic Abealzu-Filigosa layers indicate the Monte d"Accoddi was used for animal sacrifice, with the remains of sheep, cattle, and swine recovered in near equal proportions. It is among the earliest known sacrificial sites in Western Europe.

The site appears to have been abandoned again around 1800 BC, at the onset of the Nuragic age.

The monument was partially reconstructed during the 1980s. It is open to the public and accessible by the old route of SS131 highway, near the hamlet of Ottava. It is 14,9 km from Sassari and 45 km from Alghero. There is no public transportation to the site. The opening times vary throughout the year.

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