Castello di Montebello
| Castello di Montebello | ||
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 Castello di Montebello |
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| Alternative name (s): | Schwyz Castle | |
| Creation time : | late 13th century | |
| Castle type : | Höhenburg, spur location | |
| Conservation status: | receive | |
| Place: | Bellinzona | |
| Geographical location | 46 ° 11 '28.7 " N , 9 ° 1' 35.6" O | |
| Height: | 313 m above sea level M. | |
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The Castello di Montebello is a spur 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 Castelgrande , the Castello di Sasso Corbaro and Murata . It is also a cultural asset of national importance . The castle is 313 m above sea level. M. on a rocky ledge east of the old town and is connected to the city wall.
history
Various names have been handed down for this castle. In the 14th and 15th centuries it was optionally called Castello piccolo (small castle), Castello nuovo (new castle) or Castello di mezzo (medium castle). From 1506 it was called Castello di Svitto (Schwyz Castle), derived from its owner, the Swiss state of Schwyz . From 1818 the name Castello San Martino was also common.
During the 13th century, the Lombard cities of Milan and Como succeeded each other as rulers of Bellinzona several times. Before 1300, the Rusca, a noble family from Como, had the Castello di Montebello built on a rock spur east of the city as a supplement to the already existing Castelgrande. It was first mentioned in 1313. Como was conquered by Milan in 1335 and the Rusca had to retreat to Bellinzona. Here they planned an uprising against the Milanese Visconti , but it ultimately failed. In 1340 Bellinzona also fell to Milan and the Rusca were only allowed to keep Montebello as private property.
In 1500 Bellinzona submitted to the rule of the Confederates , in 1503 the Peace of Arona confirmed the new balance of power. The Uri , Schwyz and Nidwalden estates divided the three castles among themselves in 1506, with Schwyz receiving the Castello di Montebello. The people of Schwyz contented themselves with the stationing of a small garrison for the security and police service. In 1803 the castle became the property of the newly founded canton of Ticino and gradually fell into disrepair in the 19th century. Around 1900 there were first efforts to preserve the castle as a monument, from 1920 to 1955 extensive security and restoration work took place.
Building
The castle received its final shape between 1462 and 1490, when the old, dilapidated complex from the 13th century was repaired and expanded in several stages. Since the castle complex is relatively easy to access, especially from the east, deep trenches also had to be dug. The floor plan has the shape of a displaced diamond , with the city walls joining the two obtuse corners.
The core structure, an elongated and irregular bering , dates from the first phase at the end of the 13th century. In its northeast corner rises a tower with a crenellated crown and a flat hipped roof . It may be an inaccurate reconstruction that was made in 1903. Images from the 17th century show a four-story building with a pent roof at this point . On the west side there is a high entrance to the interior of the core castle (accessible today via an outside staircase). A small chapel , built around 1600 and dedicated to Saint Martin , also belongs to the main castle .
In the middle of the 14th century, the inner castle was extended by a bering at a distance of 7 to 15 meters. Remnants of it are contained in the younger curtain wall of the 15th century, as well as in an annex to the west. A deep neck ditch , over which the entrance leads, protects the area from the east. The inner gate is also part of the access. To the east of the neck ditch rises an acute-angled fore with the outer gate and another ditch in front. A parapet closes the older neck ditch to the north, a flanking tower to the south. Round flanking towers rise on the west and north corners of the Bering. A crenellated wall with a small flanking tower delimits the western apron. Troops could be accommodated and war material stored in the free space between the core of the castle and the external fortifications on the city side.
Today the Museo civico e archeologico is located in the core of the Castello di Montebello . This city museum mainly shows archaeological finds from Bellinzona and the surrounding area.
literature
- Werner Meyer , Patricia Cavadini-Bielander: The castles of Bellinzona . Ed .: Society for Swiss Art History . Swiss art guide GSK, volume 866 / 867th Bern 2010, ISBN 978-3-85782-866-9 .
- Simona Martinoli u. a .: Guida d'arte della Svizzera italiana. Edited by the Society for Swiss Art History , Edizioni Casagrande, Bellinzona 2007, ISBN 978-88-7713-482-0 .
Web links
- Castello di Montebello
- Bellinzona City Museum
- Castle world: Castello di Montebello
- Portrait on swisscastles.ch
Individual evidence
- ^ Simona Martinoli et al. a .: Guida d'arte della Svizzera italiana , (ed. GSK), Edizioni Casagrande, Bellinzona 2007, ISBN 978-88-7713-482-0 , pp. 21-23.
- ^ Castello di Montebello
- ↑ Meyer, Cavadini-Biel Ander: The castles of Bellinzona. P. 28.
- ↑ Meyer, Cavadini-Biel Ander: The castles of Bellinzona. Pp. 8-9.
- ↑ Meyer, Cavadini-Biel Ander: The castles of Bellinzona. Pp. 12-16.
- ↑ Meyer, Cavadini-Biel Ander: The castles of Bellinzona. Pp. 28-29.
- ↑ Meyer, Cavadini-Biel Ander: The castles of Bellinzona. Pp. 29-30.
- ↑ Meyer, Cavadini-Biel Ander: The castles of Bellinzona. Pp. 30-32.
- ^ Museo civico e archeologico
- ^ Moira Morinini Pè: Il Museo civico archeologico di Montebello a Bellinzona. (Italian) on e-periodica.ch (accessed on January 16, 2017).