Castelgrande (Bellinzona)
| Castelgrande | ||
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 Castelgrande viewed from the Castello di Montebello |
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| Alternative name (s): | Uri Castle | |
| Creation time : | 13th to 15th centuries | |
| Castle type : | Hilltop castle | |
| Conservation status: | receive | |
| Place: | Bellinzona | |
| Geographical location | 46 ° 11 '34.1 " N , 9 ° 1' 20.5" O | |
| Height: | 277 m above sea level M. | |
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The Castelgrande is a hilltop castle in Bellinzona, the capital of the canton of Ticino in Switzerland . As one of the three castles of Bellinzona it belongs since 2000 to the World Heritage of UNESCO , together with the Castello di Montebello , the Castello di Sasso Corbaro and Murata . It is also a cultural asset of national importance . The castle is at 277 m above sea level. M. on a mighty ridge above the old town.
history
Various names have been handed down. Until the 13th century, Castelgrande was the only castle and commonly known simply as Bellinzona Castle. In the 14th and 15th centuries it was called the Castello vecchio (old castle). From 1506 it was called Castello d'Uri ( Uri Castle), derived from its owner, the federal state Uri . From 1818 the name Castello San Michele was also used .
Continuous settlement up to the 4th millennium BC can be seen on the strategically located ridge of the Castelgrande. Prove. Around 16/15 BC BC the Romans built a fort to secure their conquests in the Alpine region. After they had given up the fort in the course of the 1st century AD, they built an extensive fortification in the middle of the 4th century that could accommodate an entire cohort if necessary . Archaeologists have proven the remains of an enclosure wall and a walled-up gate on the southern edge of the plateau.
The Roman fort continued to serve as a military base for the rulers in the early Middle Ages. It comprised the central part of the plateau, while privately used parcels were created around it . If there were armed conflicts, the local population used the Castelgrande as a refuge . Archaeological studies have shown that a major fire destroyed the southern part of the facility around the year 800. During the Carolingian rule, the fortress was strengthened and it gradually took on the shape of a citadel . In the 11th and 12th centuries the nobility of the city of Como had representative buildings built on the Castelgrande, the redoubt served as the residence of the bishop.
Como and the Duchy of Milan alternated ownership several times until Bellinzona fell to the Visconti from Milan in 1340 . In order to ward off attacks by the Confederates , the dukes of Milan had the Castelgrande significantly expanded in the second half of the 15th century. The current shape of the castle is mainly due to this time. In 1500 Bellinzona submitted to the rule of the Confederates. In 1503 the Peace of Arona confirmed the new balance of power.
The estates Uri , Schwyz and Nidwalden divided the three castles among themselves in 1506, whereby Uri received the Castelgrande. The people of Uri contented themselves with the stationing of a small garrison for the police and the police. In 1803 the castle became the property of the newly founded Canton of Ticino. It served as an armory from 1813 and as a cantonal prison from around 1820 . The canton wanted to sell Castelgrande in 1881, but couldn't find any interested parties. From 1982 to 2000, major restoration and renovation work was carried out under the direction of the Ticino architect Aurelio Galfetti . The aim of the measures was to preserve the fabric of the building, to strengthen the connection to the city and the landscape and to make the complex more accessible.
Building
The ridge of the Castelgrande consists of gneiss and rises almost 40 meters above the old town. On the north side, almost vertically sloping rock walls offer protection, on the south side, slightly less steep steps make access more difficult. At the top there is a plateau divided into terraces with a diameter of 150 to 200 meters. The late medieval Bering rests for the most part on the Roman fort wall. The interior of the extensive castle area is largely empty, which is due to the removal of numerous buildings in the 15th century and the demolition of modern armory structures in the 20th century. In the Middle Ages the area was divided into plots and densely built over.
In the Middle Ages, the castle was accessed from the south through a gate in the city wall, followed by a kennel and the main gate. Today the castle is also accessed with a lift , which can be reached from the Piazzetta della Valle in a short tunnel. Radially diverging walls divide the interior into three large courtyards. These little walls have their starting point at the Black Tower (Torre Nera) , a 28-meter-high square tower on the north wing. It dates from the early 14th century and was increased in the 15th century. To the east is the Redoute (Ridotto) , which emerged from the bishop's residence in the 12th century. It surrounds the 27 meter high White Tower (Torre Bianca) from the 13th century, which was rebuilt in 1485/86. The tower is now open to tourists and serves as a lookout tower .
The south wing consists of an elongated structure, built between the 13th and 15th centuries on the foundations of older buildings. Archaeological investigations revealed traces of prehistoric, Roman and medieval settlement there, as well as the cemetery of the missing baptistery of San Pietro. The remains of another chapel can be seen on the periphery of the western courtyard.
The south wing contains a museum with an archaeological collection, and ceiling paintings are exhibited in the art history department. The west wing of the castle is the former armory from 1820; it now houses a restaurant and a hall.
literature
- Werner Meyer , Patricia Cavadini-Bielander: The castles of Bellinzona . In: GSK (Ed.): Swiss Art Guides . tape 866 . GSK Society for Swiss Art History, Bern 2010, ISBN 978-3-85782-866-9 .
- Werner Meyer, Pierangelo Donati: The Castel Grande in Bellinzona . Report on the excavations and building investigations from 1967. In: Schweizerischer Burgenverein (Hrsg.): Swiss contributions to the cultural history and archeology of the Middle Ages . tape 3 . Walter, Olten / Freiburg im Breisgau 1976, ISBN 978-3-530-56655-0 .
- Simona Martinoli and others: Guida d'arte della Svizzera italiana. (Edizioni Casagrande, Bellinzona 2007, ISBN 978-88-7713-482-0 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Martinoli, 2007, pp. 21-22
- ↑ Castelgrande
- ↑ Castelgrande on ticino.ch
- ↑ Castelgrande ( Memento of the original from October 4, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Meyer, Cavadini-Biel Ander: The castles of Bellinzona. P. 21.
- ↑ Meyer, Cavadini-Biel Ander: The castles of Bellinzona. Pp. 3-5.
- ↑ Meyer, Cavadini-Biel Ander: The castles of Bellinzona. Pp. 5-7.
- ↑ Meyer, Cavadini-Biel Ander: The castles of Bellinzona. Pp. 10-14.
- ↑ Meyer, Cavadini-Biel Ander: The castles of Bellinzona. P. 15.
- ↑ Meyer, Cavadini-Biel Ander: The castles of Bellinzona. Pp. 25-26.
- ↑ Meyer, Cavadini-Biel Ander: The castles of Bellinzona. Pp. 22-24.
- ↑ Meyer, Cavadini-Biel Ander: The castles of Bellinzona. Pp. 23, 26.
- ↑ Meyer, Cavadini-Biel Ander: The castles of Bellinzona. P. 24.
- ^ Museo di Castel Grande con Collezioni archeologiche
- ^ Moira Morinini Pè: Il Museo archeologico storico e artistico di Castelgrande a Bellinzona. (Italian) on e-periodica.ch (accessed on January 16, 2017).
- ↑ Meyer, Cavadini-Biel Ander: The castles of Bellinzona. P. 25.
