Fischburg Castle, Santa Cristina Valgardena, Italy

Fischburg Castle (Castel Gardena), surrounded by numerous fish ponds that were name-giving for the castle. It was constructed between 1622 and 1641 by Engelhard Dietrich von Wolkenstein-Trostburg as summer residence and hunting castle, even if the monumental construction conveys medieval grandeur. Actually, the inventory of the castle reveals that the castle contains more hunting weapons than weapons of war. Moreover appliances for fishing were found - not far to seek, as there are the nearby fishing ponds.

At the end of the 18th century, the castle started deteriorating, in 1826 parts of the inventory were sold by public sale. In the mid 19th century, Leopold Graf von Wolkenstein-Trostburg gave the castle to the municipality of S. Cristina. In those days, a retirement home or poorhouse was meant to be established in the castle. However, in 1926, it was sold to the baron Carlo Franchetti from Venice, who had the castle restored inside and outside and furnished it with chattels of South Tyrol and the Val Gardena valley. Still today the castle is owned by the Venetian family.

References:

valgardena-groeden.com

Castles and fortifications in Italy

User Reviews

Lynn Reiswig (4 years ago)
The view of the town and mountains from the castle slopes are beautiful. I image it would be an amazing view from the castle towers. Currently the castle is privately own and not open to the public. The castle buildings are just as interesting up close as they are from afar.

Maurizio Lettieri (5 years ago)
Nice castle on the mountain between Santa Cristina and Selva Valgardena. Too bad it cannot be visited, it conveys ancient history

Dima Yerinov (5 years ago)
The castle is eye catching :)

Johnny Kidd (6 years ago)
Fearless vampire killers!!

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The ancient Argos Theater was built in 320 BC. and is located in Argos, Greece against Larissa Hill. Nearby from this site is Agora, Roman Odeon, and the Baths of Argos. The theater is one of the largest architectural developments in Greece and was renovated in ca 120 AD.

The Hellenistic theater at Argos is cut into the hillside of the Larisa, with 90 steps up a steep incline, forming a narrow rectilinear cavea. Among the largest theaters in Greece, it held about 20,000 spectators and is divided by two landings into three horizontal sections. Staircases further divide the cavea into four cunei, corresponding to the tribes of Argos A high wall was erected to prevent unauthorized access into the theatron and may have helped the acoustics, but it is said the sound quality is still very good today.

Around 120 CE, both theaters were renovated in the Roman style.

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