Castello di Pont-Saint-Martin
| Castello di Pont-Saint-Martin | ||
|---|---|---|
 Castello di Pont-Saint-Martin |
||
| Alternative name (s): | Castellaccio, Castello vecchio | |
| Creation time : | 12th Century | |
| Castle type : | Hilltop castle | |
| Conservation status: | ruin | |
| Construction: | Quarry stone | |
| Place: | Pont-Saint-Martin | |
| Geographical location | 45 ° 36 '4.8 " N , 7 ° 48' 4" E | |
| Height: | 627 m slm | |
|
||
The Castello di Pont-Saint-Martin , also called Castellaccio or Castello vecchio , is the rune of a hilltop castle on a moraine above the town of Pont-Saint-Martin in the Aosta Valley . The castle is located on the orographically right side of the Lystal in a strategically important location in visual contact with the Torre di Pramotton , with which light signals could be exchanged. The castle, which was abandoned centuries ago, is now a destination for walkers and hikers.
description
On the ruins of the east side, there was once the keep with a hexagonal floor plan, an unusual shape for the castles of the Aosta Valley, but comparable to that of the neighboring Torre di Pramotton and, according to Francesco Corni, inspired by the British castles Caernarfon Castle and Arundel Castle . This original inner castle was not very comfortable and unsuitable for residential purposes; it was only used occasionally and only in the event of a siege.
Adapted to the shape of the rocky outcrop, which was smoothed by glaciers in the Quaternary and sloping to the east, the enclosing walls have an irregular shape and open on the south side to an entrance that is easy to control in connection with the narrow and mandatory access.
Inside the surrounding wall you can still make out the areas used as living quarters such as the chapel and the kitchen on the west side ; the latter has a dome vault with a hole in the middle that served as a smoke outlet for the chimney, and its shape and size corresponds to that of the Castello di Introd . Strangely, at one corner of the castle rises a small, protruding, cylindrical tower, decorated with a series of blind arcades , which show similarities with the decorative style of castles in Piedmont , which were built at the beginning of the 15th century.
Aside from these details, Carlo Passerin d'Entrèves' description of the castle is still accurate:
"All that remained of the numerous buildings was misshapen rubble, a few remains of broken walls that the vegetation has wrestled and overgrown in numerous places over the centuries."
Floor plan of the Castello di Pont-Saint-Martin (Carlo Nigra)
Inner and hexagonal tower (photo by C. Nigra)
Interior of the western part of the castle (photo by C. Nigra)
history
The castle belonged to the noble Pont-Saint-Martin family , a branch of the Bard family , which emerged under this name on July 19, 1214 when the brothers Hugues de Bard and Guillaume de Pont-Sain Martin agreed to share the family property and their possessions were made independent: Guillaume inherited the possessions of Pont-Saint-Martin and Arnad , but a short time later the Arnad fief would fall to the Vallaises , while the Bard fief went to the brother Hugues . The Savoy tried to appropriate both fiefdoms, but could only conquer the lands of Hugues de Bard . Until 1337, the heirs of Guillaume refused to submit to the counts and attacked the fortress of Bard several times .
There are no reliable records of the construction of the castle, which was probably built in several phases during the 14th century, although some authors date its first construction to the 12th century.
In 1447, Antoine de Pont-Saint-Martin was briefly expropriated by Duke Amadeus VIII of Savoy because of a dispute between the two. When the castle was back in the hands of the Savoy, it fell into ruin as early as 1460 when Antoine's sons - Bertrand, Jacques, Ardisson and François de Pont-Saint-Martin - asked the Savoy to rebuild the castle. In 1466 the castle came back into the family's hands and it is likely that they had it rebuilt from that time on.
Presumably in the 16th century, the castle was given up in favor of the Casaforte di Pont-Saint-Martin mansion in the center of Pont-Saint-Martin, when the refinement of customs made the hilltop castle too uncomfortable and unsuitable for the new needs of the lords. The family was finally ruined by the poor lifestyle of Ercole di Pont-Saint-Martin , who loaned all the family property.
The municipal administration wants to upgrade the castle area and renovate and secure the building structure and the access route by purchasing private land.
Legend
The Bards , which include the Lords of Pont-Saint-Martin, are remembered among the families of the Aosta Valley as the cruelest and most violent, and the Castello di Pont-Saint-Martin has remained an emblematic place of horror. A legend sums up these aspects: It is said that at the behest of the grim lord of the castle, the lord of Pont-Saint-Martin, a blooming girl from Perloz was kidnapped and locked in the highest tower of Castellaccio. The aristocratic Pont-Saint-Martin family was famous for their wealth, which came from the toll they levied on those who passed the bridge, the only way through the valley and thus to Switzerland and France .
Access
When you leave the village of Pont-Saint-Martin and leave the Roman bridge behind you, you walk for a while on the mule track towards Perloz and Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde monastery , then turn right and take a steep path the vineyards. In less than half an hour you can reach the ruins of the castle.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d André Zanotto: Castelli valdostani . Musumeci, Quart (1980) 2002. ISBN 88-7032-049-9 . P. 128.
- ^ A b Francesco Corni: Valle d'Aosta medievale . Tipografia Testolin, Sarre 2005.
- ^ A b c Carlo Passerin d'Entrèves: Il Castello di Pont-Saint-Martin e la rocca di Bard in Augusta Praetoria: Revue valdôtaines de pensée et d'action régionalistes . No. 4 (1951). P. 238.
- ↑ a b c d e Castellaccio di Pont-Saint-Martin . ICastelli.it. Archived from the original on July 19, 2012. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
- ^ A b Pont-Saint-Martin . Via Francigena. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
- ↑ Jean-Jacques Christillin: Legends et récits recueillis sur les bords du Lys . Duc, Aosta 1901. Quoted in Carlo Passerin d'Entrèves: Il Castello di Pont-Saint-Martin e la rocca di Bard in Augusta Praetoria: Revue valdôtaines de pensée et d'action régionalistes . No. 4 (1951). P. 238.
swell
- André Zanotto: Castelli valdostani . Musumeci, Quart (1980) 2002. ISBN 88-7032-049-9 .
- Jean Baptiste de Tillier: Historique de la vallée d'Aoste . Ed. L. Mensio. P. 3 91 (474 of the .PDF). (1737) 1887.
- Carlo Nigra: Torri e castelli e case forti del Piemonte dal 1000 al secolo XVI. La Valle d'Aosta . Musumeci, Quart 1974. pp. 26-28.
- Bruno Orlandoni: Architettura in Valle d'Aosta. Il Quattrocento. Gotico tardo e Rinascimento nel secolo d'oro dell'arte valdostana 1420-1520 . Priuli & Verlucca, Ivrea 1996. ISBN 88-8068-028-5 .
- Carlo Passerin d'Entrèves: Il Castello di Pont-Saint-Martin e la rocca di Bard in Augusta Praetoria: Revue valdôtaines de pensée et d'action régionalistes . No. 4 (1951). P. 238.
- Mauro Minola, Beppe Ronco: Valle d'Aosta. Castelli e fortificazioni . Macchione, Varese 2002. ISBN 88-8340-116-6 . P. 18.
- Francesco Corni: Valle d'Aosta medievale . Tipografia Testolin, Sarre 2005.
Web links
- Il Castello Vecchio . Comune di Pont-Saint-Martin. Archived from the original on January 20, 2012. Retrieved July 13, 2020.