L Ciastel - Fischburg - Castel Gardena
Castle · Dolomites
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Fischburg (L Ciastel in Ladin, Castel Gardena in Italian) stands between Selva and Santa Cristina. The Wolkenstein counts built it in 1622-1641 as a summer and hunting residence; the German name, meaning fish castle, recalls the trout ponds its owner once kept. Renaissance in origin, its massive walls read as a medieval fortress. The Franchetti family still summers there, so it is seen only from outside.
The counts of Wolkenstein-Trostburg built Fischburg after rockfall left their older castle above Vallunga, Ciastel de Val, unsafe to live in. Inside, a chapel and two loggia-lined courtyards lead to apartments finished in an Italian Renaissance style. Until the late 18th century the castle served as the seat of the Selva court, then stood in disrepair for over a hundred years. Baron Carlo Franchetti of Venice bought it in 1926 and restored the building inside and out, furnishing the rooms with pieces sourced locally in Val Gardena and South Tyrol.
castlerenaissanceprivate residence
Castle built in 1621 — a listed cultural heritage monument in south tyrol.