Castello di Graines
| Castello di Graines | ||
|---|---|---|
 Castello di Graines in winter |
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| Creation time : | 11th century | |
| Castle type : | Hilltop castle | |
| Conservation status: | ruin | |
| Construction: | Quarry stone | |
| Place: | Brusson | |
| Geographical location | 45 ° 44 '18 " N , 7 ° 45' 14.3" E | |
| Height: | 1338 m slm | |
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The Castello di Graines is the ruin of a hilltop castle near the district of Graines in the municipality of Brusson in the Val d'Ayas , a side valley of the Aosta Valley .
location
The ruin lies on a rock spur from which one can overlook the municipality and a large part of the Val d'Ayas . The strategically elevated location not only made it easier to defend the complex, but also provided a view of the spacious surroundings. However, there is no verifiable evidence to suggest that the castle was in line of sight with the Torre di Bonot and Castello di Villa in Challand-Saint-Victor , either through mirrors or colored flags, as neither the tower nor the castle was in Challand-Saint-Victor stand in direct line of sight with the Castello di Graines.
history
The Graines fiefdom has a very long history that began in 515 when Prince Sigismund , King of Burgundy from 516, had the Saint-Maurice Abbey built in the Swiss canton of Valais . In order to secure sufficient income for the monks for the huge needs of the new abbey, he also donated numerous estates to them, including the rich and fertile fiefdom of Graines.
In 1263 the monks lent the castle and some of the surrounding areas to Gotofredo di Challant , the nephew of Vice Count Bosone di Aosta and loyal follower of the Counts of Savoy . The Challants administered this fiefdom until the end of the 18th century and recognized the vassalage to the Abbey of Saint-Maurice.
In the mid-15th century, the castle was rebuilt and fortified and was one of the fortresses Caterina di Challant and Pierre d'Introd used during the struggle to succeed their father, Francesco di Challant . After the Challant family died out in the 19th century, the castle, which was already in ruins at that time, fell to the Passerin d'Entrèves family . Later she bought the real estate management of the autonomous region of Aosta Valley.
The ruins of the castle have been preserved and restored by Alfredo d'Andrade and Giuseppe Giacosa at the beginning of the 20th century.
Thanks to the cross-border program AVER ( Ancienne Vestiges En Ruine ), in which Savoy (in France ), the Aosta Valley (in Italy ) and Valais (in Switzerland) are involved, the castle has been restored and is now freely accessible.
description
The Castello di Graines is a typical example of a simple castle in the Aosta Valley. It essentially consists of an extensive wall ring, which encloses an area of about 80 × 50 meters, has an irregular shape, adapts to the natural terrain and inside other buildings, including a large tower with a square floor plan and a small chapel that the only two of which traces are still preserved today.
The square tower or donjon has a massive structure and a side length of more than 5.5 meters. This was the dungeon of the castle, originally with battlements provided, but with a non-visible roof. It was not only the home of the lord of the castle, but also represented the last defensive bulwark, as the small windows and the entrance, which is almost 5 meters above the ground and which could only be reached via a staircase, which could be removed during a siege, show. Later, a new building was added to the tower to expand the living space.
The Romanesque chapel is dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours . The dedication of the chapel to a saint other than the patron saint of the Welsh Abbey, Saint Mauritius , supports the assumption that the chapel was not built by the monks who originally lived in the castle. However, this assumption is neither historically confirmed nor is it derived from local traditions. The chapel consisted of a single nave , about 8 meters long, which ended with a semicircular apse . Today only the apse, the surrounding walls and the facade with the bell tower are preserved. The roof has been lost.
Access
The castle ruins can be reached by following the regional road 45 from Verrès into the Val d'Ayas . About 13 km from Verrès, just behind the Arcésaz settlement , a district of Brusson , the paved road to Graines branches off to the right. After approx. 2 km you can park your car and get to the castle ruins via a mule track in a few minutes .
The treasure legend
Legend has it that a great treasure is buried under the remains of the castle. One night a clergyman heard a mysterious voice in a dream that told him the exact place where he would have to dig to find the treasure, but asked him to leave this place before the rooster entered the Dawn crow for the third time. The following night the pastor followed the instructions and discovered a trap door under which he found the treasure. Blinded by the wealth, however, he forgot the time. So he noticed the cock crow too late and remained imprisoned with the treasure.
Others
In the Castello di Graines part of the novel Il mercanto di lana ( Eng . : The wool merchant) by Valeria Montaldi takes place .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Graines . Varasc.it. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
- ↑ La Storia del castello . In: Castello di Graines . Archived from the original on November 11, 2009. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
- ↑ Tersilla Gatto Chanu, Augusta Vittoria Cerutti: Guida ai insolita misteri, ai segreti all leggende e all curiosità della Valle d'Aosta . Newton & Compton, 2001. ISBN 88-8289-564-5 .
swell
- Mauro Minola, Beppe Ronco: Valle d'Aosta. Castelli e fortificazioni . Macchione, Varese 2002. ISBN 88-8340-116-6 . P. 26.
- André Zanotto: Castelli valdostani . Musumeci, Quart (1980) 2002. ISBN 88-7032-049-9 .
- Carlo Nigra: Torri e castelli e case forti del Piemonte dal 1000 al secolo XVI. La Valle d'Aosta . Musumeci, Quart 1974. pp. 38-40.
- Tersilla Gatto Chanu, Augusta Vittoria Cerutti: Guida insolita ai misteri, ai segreti, all legends e alle curiosità della Valle d'Aosta . Newton & Compton, 2001. ISBN 88-8289-564-5 .
- Séraphin-Bruno Vuillermin: On the subject of the restaurations du Château de Graines à Brusson . Imprimerie Stévenin, Aosta 1907.
- Gabriele Pezzano: Il mandement e il castello di Graines: storia e istituzioni dell'alta Valle d'Ayas tra l'XI e il XIX secolo . Raffaella Poletti, Aosta 2013: Le château.
- Jean-Auguste Voulaz: Inventaire des documents conservés à l'abbaye de Saint-Maurice d'Agaune en Valais concernant le fief de Graines, d'après les "cahiers" du chanoine Charles in Bulletin de l'Académie Saint-Anselme . Volume VI (Nouvelle série). Imprimerie valdôtaine, Aosta 1997.
Web links
- Château de Graines . Turismo della Regione Valle d'Aosta. January 21, 2011. Archived from the original on March 12, 2013. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
- Castello di Graines . Comune di Challand-Saint-Anselme. Archived from the original on November 7, 2012. Retrieved June 9, 2020.