Castel Gardena

Between Selva and Santa Cristina stands Castel Gardena, also known as Fischburg. Built as a summer and hunting residence in the seventeenth century, its Renaissance architecture combines residential forms with the appearance of a fortress.

Why it matters

The castle preserves the history of the Wolkenstein family and the aristocratic landscape of Val Gardena. Its design was intended for residence and hunting rather than military defence, while its fortified exterior gives the building a distinctive place in the valley.

What to notice

The castle’s walls, chapel and residential wings express the combination of a fortified silhouette with late-Renaissance domestic architecture. Two arcaded courtyards form part of the complex. The name Fischburg, or “fishing castle,” is associated with fishponds said to have surrounded the building.

Context and history

Construction took place between 1622 and 1641 as a summer and hunting residence for the Wolkenstein-Trostburg family. The inventory was auctioned in 1826, and in 1863 Count Leopold von Wolkenstein-Trostburg granted the castle to the municipality of Santa Cristina. The municipalities of Santa Cristina and Selva used it as an almshouse into the early twentieth century. In 1926 it was sold to Baron Carlo Franchetti of Venice.