Location: Freienfeld Map
Constructed: 12th century
Reifenstein Castle is located near Freienfeld, Bolzano-Bozen region of Northern Italy. It was constructed in 12th century near a dry reclaimed swamp in the valley of Eisack. Over centuries it was remodeled by the orders of Thurn und Taxis Counts, but many of the original structures including medieval kitchen, bedrooms, bathrooms and many other rooms have been preserved in its original condition.
The castle is one of the oldest, historically important and richest
in South Tyrol.
It stands on a hill overlooking a plain, obtained
from a reclaimed ex-marsh (Sterzinger Moos), on which a small military
airport was also built, today used only for tourist purposes.
The
castle was mentioned for the first time in written documents in 1100 as
a fief of the Bavarian counts Lechsgemünd, while from 1140 the fortress
was given to the Lords of Stilfes.
In the following centuries
several counts and nobles lived in the manor, until in 1405 the property
passed to the family of the Lords of Sabiona (Säben). After their
extinction, the castle became a possession of Duke Sigismund of Austria,
who however in 1470 sold it to the Teutonic Order, to which we owe much
of the current appearance and furnishings. Finally, since 1813 it has
been owned by the Counts Thurn und Taxis of Regensburg (hence the
Italianized name "Tasso" of the castle, used starting from the 1930s).
Today Castel Tasso is considered one of the most precious castles in
South Tyrolean history. Since the castle was never conquered or
devastated, it is still well preserved today and inside we find many
antique objects and furniture. The structure also includes the small
chapel of San Zeno, where eight Bavarian wooden coffins dating back to
the 4th and 8th centuries were found, two of which can be seen in a room
of the castle, while the other six are kept in the Museum archaeological
site of South Tyrol with still human remains inside.
Inside
Castel Tasso you can visit as many as 10 rooms in perfect condition,
among which we mention: a large thirteenth-century kitchen with an open
fireplace, the old residential tower, a dark prison 5 meters deep and
also the famous and precious "Green Room" (Grüner Saal), which in the
characteristic green decorations, also hides various characters. All
this is a suggestive example of a medieval fortress, what Castel Tasso
was in times past.
Guided tours are available from Easter to
early November.
The "green room" with ornamental
paintings, antique furniture, a safe and a spiral staircase as a
secondary entrance;
A splendid late Gothic wooden grate which gives
access to the small chapel, obtained from an ancient bed;
About ten
rooms in perfect condition;
Tyrolean parlors dating back to the 12th
century.