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.

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Address

La Selva Straße 82, Santa Cristina Valgardena, Italy
See all sites in Santa Cristina Valgardena

Details

Founded: 1622
Category: Castles and fortifications in Italy

More Information

www.valgardena-groeden.com

Rating

4.3/5 (based on Google user reviews)

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User Reviews

Maurizio Lettieri (6 months ago)
Nice castle on the mountain between Santa Cristina and Selva Valgardena. Too bad it cannot be visited, it conveys ancient history
Dima Yerinov (12 months ago)
The castle is eye catching :)
Johnny Kidd (2 years ago)
Fearless vampire killers!!
Silvia Esposto (3 years ago)
è situato lungo la riva sinistra di Rio Gardena, tra Selva Gardena e S. Cristina, circondato da numerosi laghetti ricchi di pesci, infatti il nome tedesco del castello è “Fischburg” che significa “Castello della pesca”. Il castello è stato costruito tra il 1622 ed il 1641 per volontà di Engelhard Dietrich von Wolkenstein-Trostburg come residenza estiva e di caccia, anche se questo monumentale edificio è di memorabile bellezza. Dall’inventario del castello è emerso che fossero presenti più armi da caccia che da guerra. Oltre alle armi sono stati ritrovati numerosi attrezzi da pesca. A fine del XVIII secolo il castello iniziò a deteriorarsi e parte dell’inventario venne messo all’asta. A metà del XIX secolo, Conte Leopold von Wolkenstein-Trostburg donò Castel Gardena al comune di Santa Cristina che pensò di adibire il castello a ricovero per gli anziani o per i poveri. Nel 1926 il castello venne venduto a Barone Carlo Franchetti di Venezia il quale lo ristrutturò, sia internamente che esteriormente, e lo arredò con mobili provenienti dalla Val Gardena e dall’Alto Adige. Ancora oggi il castello è di proprietà della famiglia veneziana e non può essere visitato.
Braden Anderson (3 years ago)
Had an amazing stay in the guesthouse which was available on Airbnb to rent - highly recommended!
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The four circular pillars mark the start of the building site, but the four following adopt a lozenge-shaped layout which could indicate a change of project manager. The clumsiness of the vaulted archways of the north ambulatory, the start of the ribbed vaults at the height of the south ambulatory or the choice of the vaults descending in spoke-form from the semi-circle which allows the connection of the axis chapel to the choir – despite the manifest problems of alignment – conveys the hesitancy and diverse influences in the first phase of works which spread out until the start of the 14th century.

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The choir presents four right-hand bays with ambulatory and side chapels. It is extended towards the east of 3-sided chevet which opens onto a semi-circle composed of five chapels and an apsidal chapel of two bays and a flat chevet consecrated to Our Lady.

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The west porch finds its natural place between the two towers. The entire aesthetic of these three gates springs from the Flamboyant era: trefoil, curly kale, finials, large gables which cut into the mouldings and balustrades. Pinnacles and recesses embellish the buttresses whilst an entire bestiary appears: monsters, dogs, mysterious figures, gargoyles, and with them a whole imaginary world promoting a religious and political programme. Even though most of the saints statues have disappeared an armorial survives which makes the doors of the cathedral one of the most beautiful heraldic pages imaginable: ducal ermine, the Montfort lion, Duchess Jeanne of France’s coat of arms side by side with the arms of the Cornouaille barons with their helmets and crests. One can imagine the impact of this sculpted decor with the colour and gilding which originally completed it.

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The 19th century would therefore inherit an almost finished but mutilated building and would devote itself to its renovation according to the tastes and theories of the day.

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