Marmels Castle

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Marmels Castle
Marmels ruin

Marmels ruin

Creation time : around 1100
Castle type : Höhenburg, grotto castle
Conservation status: Ruin, rubble
Standing position : Free nobles, ministerials
Construction: Quarry stone
Place: Marmorera
Geographical location 46 ° 30 '23.8 "  N , 9 ° 37' 39.3"  E Coordinates: 46 ° 30 '23.8 "  N , 9 ° 37' 39.3"  E ; CH1903:  767 993  /  152932
Height: 1710  m above sea level M.
Marmels Castle (Canton of Graubünden)
Marmels Castle

The ruins of Marmels Castle are located near Marmorera in the municipality of Surses in the Swiss canton of Graubünden .

Location and access

Aerial view of Marmels Castle.

The sparse remains of the former Grottenburg Marble are at 1710  m above sea level. M. under a mighty ledge on two rock steps high above the dam of Marmorera. Access is via the dam, at the two farm buildings up the green area and at the end of the green area on the left into the forest, where you can reach the ruins at the foot of the rock face via a steep, narrow path. A safety rope could be attached to some metal rings in the wall. Access is not without danger and is only recommended for experienced mountain hikers. We strongly advise against climbing on wet ground due to the risk of slipping.

Even if in earlier times this breakneck path might have been better secured by steps or a railing, it must still have been extremely arduous, especially in winter when snow and ice hindered access.

investment

Location map
Drawing by Rudolf Rahn from 1893

A few remains of a Bering wall following the edge of the rock have been preserved on the lowest level . A kind of gatehouse served as a farm building and forge. The four-storey safe 15-meter-high rectangular Palas was on the southern terrace and was leaning against the rock, as can be seen well on a drawing of the 1,893th Only ruins are visible of it. According to the drawing, one gate and one arched door led to the ground floor and another to the first floor. Nothing is known about a possible wooden superstructure and the shape of the roof. In the south wall a door on the fourth floor led to an arbor.

A steep path along the back wall of the cave led to the top step of the facility. As can be deduced from the carved foundation bearings, other buildings must have stood on this terrace, but today nothing more can be said about their type.

The two-story chapel, however, is still upright. With its light-colored plaster, it stands out clearly from the rock face and is visible from afar. The semicircular apse is built into the east wall on the valley side. A smooth plaster has been preserved well. Both floors could be entered from the west side of the mountain. Among other things, the issue of drinking water supply has not been clarified.

On a small plateau to the north of the church, the remains of a building built later were found; it could have been the pastor's apartment.

On the northern foreland a little above the lake, traces of a spacious pen and a small building can be seen in a meadow zone. It will be the remains of a small farm that supplied the castle's residents with food.

At the beginning of the 14th century there was a fire on the upper plateau and probably also on the lower plateau with the gate building, a thick layer of fire lies on both squares. It is conceivable that later only the parts of the system in between were used.

history

Due to the excavations of 1987/88 includes Ursina Jecklin table Hauser, who works at the Archaeological Service of the Canton of Grisons, on a time it was built between 1135 and 1141. The plan of the chapel is already in Rätien Carolingian ahead of time, but is expected until the early 12th Century have been applied. The massive structure was intended to represent the presence of the Lords of Marmels, who controlled the Julier and Septimer passes .

The Lords of Marmels are first mentioned in a document in 1160 as the Ministeriale of the Barons of Tarasp from the Lower Engadine . Thanks to a gift from Ulrich III von Tarasp, Andreas von Marmels, who held half of the Tarasp Castle as a fief , became Ministeriale of the Bishop of Chur , but they always owned their ancestral castle as their own . In the service of the bishop, the von Marmels were able to expand their possessions and power and became one of the most respected families of Raetia. In Oberhalbstein, in addition to their own property, Marmels and Spliatsch Castle , they also held the rule of Riom as bailiffs . As bailiffs they officiated in various episcopal dominions. The castle itself was first mentioned in 1192 when Andreas von Marmels (or his son of the same name) captured the cardinal legate Cintius, who was on his way to Italy, at the behest of the emperor and kept him prisoner at Marmels.

The most important representative of the family, Conradin von Marmels († 1518), held the two independent dominions Haldenstein and Rhäzüns . In the Swabian War of 1499 he took over command of the Graubünden troops, but was then deposed because of his pro-Austrian sentiments and sequestered in his Rhäzüns castle. His older son Johannes inherited the rule of Rhäzün from him and later also acquired Neu-Aspermont . The younger son Rudolf received Haldenstein Castle, became mayor of Chur and later the first governor of the Valtellina .

Marmels Castle has always been owned by the same family throughout its history, which was rather an exception. It appears for the last time in the documents in 1550. Conradin's son Rudolf sold the castle together with the Tower of Tinizong and the Spliatsch Castle to his nephew Hans, who, however, fell into arrears with the payment of the purchase price, which is why Rudolf kept Marmels as a pledge. At that time, the complex seems to have been in a good and habitable condition.

The castle was probably abandoned at the end of the 14th or beginning of the 15th century; There are no more recent finds. In 1620 the complex is also referred to as a ruin in the sources. When Rudolf Rahn drew the layout in 1893, the hall was still four stories high. According to oral tradition, it collapsed during an earthquake on Christmas Eve 1905.

The family of the von Marmels has not died out like most of the other old Rhaetian noble families: The successors of the lords of Marmels are now called Demarmels.

Excavations 1987/88

Parchment notes

In 1987/88 more than 21,000 animal bones, 18,000 plant remains, numerous pieces of wood, leather, rope and parchment remains, metal objects, weapons, combs and vessels were found in a dry crevice behind the rear wall of the castle chapel. The excellent condition of the finds is due to the desert-like climate in the dust-dry rock crevice, into which hardly a drop of water ever gets.

A small piece of parchment written in dark ink was found next to the objects mentioned. The typeface points to the first half of the 14th century. The text contains the request to collect interest in arrears. The issuer and addressee are not named. The parchment, which must have been thrown away, is a rare example of a short-term document as well as an indication of the use of German in Raetia. The transcript reads:

Also tell Hansen Haseler that he is sending Alberten von Fontana the two phunt pheffer , alder he is reading that well unused, when the phaffe von Salugx [Salouf] still has the cinse, that the silly supervisor sante, and wils Alberte is not accepting the pepper.

gallery

  • Position of the terrace

  • Aerial view of Marmels Castle

  • The chapel from the south and the dry crevice in which the excavations took place in 1987/88

  • The chapel from the north

  • The interior of the chapel

  • View from Marmels Castle

  • The chapel from the east

literature

  • Ursina Jecklin-Tischhauser, Lotti Frascoli and Manuel Janosa (eds.): The Marmels Castle - A Grisons Balmburg in the mirror of archeology and history. Schweizerischer Burgenverein, Basel 2012 (Swiss contributions to the cultural history and archeology of the Middle Ages, Volume 40), ISBN 978-3-908182-24-5 .
  • Otto Paul Clavadetscher , Werner Meyer : The castle book of Graubünden. Orell Füssli, Zurich 1984, ISBN 3-280-01319-4 .
  • Fritz Hauswirth: Castles and palaces in Switzerland. Volume 8. Neptun Verlag, Kreuzlingen 1972.
  • Werner Meyer: Castles of Switzerland. Volume 3. Silva Verlag, Zurich 1983.
  • Bündner Urkundenbuch (BUB) I – VI.
  • Hermann Wartmann: Rhaetian documents from the central archive of the Princely House of Thurn and Taxis in Regensburg . Basel 1891.
  • Wolfgang von Juvalta (Ed.): Necrologium Curiense. Chur 1867.

Web links

Commons : Burg Marmels  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Terra Grischuna , 6/2011, p. 10ff
  2. ↑ Handbuch der Bündner Geschichte , Volume 4: Sources and Materials , Chur 2005, p. 48