Description of the attraction
Castel Marecchio Castle is located in the historic center of Bolzano. In its structure, it is more likely an aristocratic residence than a defensive structure. The oldest part of the castle - the main tower - dates back to the 12th century. It was built by Berthold von Bosen, the ancestor of the Mareccio family. Von Bosen's descendants, Paolo and Bertoldo Marecchio, ruled the judicial system in Bolzano in the 14th century. In the following centuries, the castle underwent significant changes, in particular, fences were built.
The Bolzano branch of the Marecchio family ceased to exist in 1435, and all their possessions passed into the ownership of the Marecchio from the town of Naturno, and from them to the Reifer family. It was Christopher Reifer, who was in a difficult relationship with the Tyrolean ruler, Duke Sigismundo il Danarozo, also known as Sigismund the Rich, who was forced to abandon Castel Marecchio in favor of the duke. So, in the 15th century, the castle began to pass from hand to hand.
Around the middle of the 16th century, on the initiative of the next owners of the castle, the Römer family, large-scale reconstruction work was carried out - four more towers were built, the hall, towers and the chapel were painted with frescoes, and a defensive moat was built. The authors of the numerous frescoes, unfortunately, remained unknown, but they, no doubt, were at the court of Sigismundo. The main subjects of the frescoes are traditional - scenes from the Bible and the lives of the saints. For the work done on the restoration of the castle, the Römer received the title of baron under the Austrian Archduke Ferdinand II.
Then Castel Marecchio changed owners again and again, until in the middle of the 19th century it turned out to be the property of Anna Sarntein, who rented it to the state. The state, on the other hand, placed an arms warehouse in the building for half a century. Then the State Archives was located in the castle, and even later it was bought by the Bolzano Tourism Board, which made the castle its head office. Before that, careful restoration work was carried out in the castle, special attention was paid to the restoration of ancient frescoes. Today Castel Marecchio is used for a variety of cultural events. It is also open to tourists.
