Castel Roncolo: a castle of Bolzano
Castel Roncolo dominates the city of Bolzano from the top of an imposing rocky spur. Its construction began in the distant 1237 by order of the noblemen Friederich and Beral Vanga. His glory, however, began in the 1385, when the two bourgeois extraction brothers Niklaus and Franz Vintler bought the manor. These, not wanting to be outdone compared to the nobles of their time, had the whole castle decorated with wonderful frescoes, unique testimony of the courtly world, noble fashion and chivalry. Today, Castel Roncolo preserves the largest cycle of profane frescoes from the Middle Ages.
History and frescoes
In the 1390 the Vintler family had the so-called "Summer House" built next to the Romanesque building. Inside there are not only frescoes in green earth depicting the legend of "Tristan and Isolde" by Gottfried von Straßburg, but also one of the oldest representations on fresco of the round table of King Arthur. In contrast to the chivalrous - literary themes present both inside and outside the Casa d´Estate, the western palace of Castel Roncolo offers representations of court life.
La tournament hall instead it houses an impressive representation of the tournament with spears. The frescoes of Castel Roncolo, in their entirety, present us with one unique and precious testimony of the past courtly world, of the clothing of the nobility, of the world of the tournament and are at the same time a painted gallery of inestimable value.
Alongside the eventful events that characterize the history of Castel Roncolo, the real attraction lies inside, in the Western Palace and in the Summer House, where the frescoed rooms house the greatest cycle of profane painting of the Middle Ages.
This makes Castel Roncolo a "illustrated" manor, a castle of images that seems to spring directly from a fairy tale, a peculiarity that in addition to thrilling visitors and today's visitors has especially entranced the romantics.
In fact the taste of Romanticism has meant that Castel Roncolo was the most designed, painted and photographed castle of the nineteenth century becoming for this reason the "illustrated manor" par excellence.
Here, in a play of lights and shadows, the Middle Ages are intertwined with the Renaissance, Romanticism and the contemporary era.
Visit the Castle
The castle can be visited from Tuesday to Sunday pm To 10 18 (last entry at 17.30)
Winter time (02.11. - 15.03.): From Tuesday to Sunday from 10 to 17 (last entry at 16.30)
Guided tours in Italian: every day at 16
Guided tours in German: every day at 15
Prices for visits
adults: € 8
family ticket (2 adults with children under 14 years): € 16
Guide supplement: € 2,70
reduced ticket (groups, over 65 etc.): € 5,50
