Senvelenturm
The Senvelenturm is a round tower from the 13th century in the center of Vicosoprano in Bergell in the Swiss canton of Graubünden . The name goes back to Middle High German sinwël 'round' or sinwëlli 'round' . The building is the only completely preserved medieval round tower in the canton of Graubünden.
construction
The four-storey Senvelenturm is now integrated into the town hall building, i. H. the town hall was later built around the tower. The tower is dated to the second half of the 13th century, the town hall was built in 1584.
The ground floor was divided by a T-shaped installation into three prison rooms, which were accessible from above through separate hatches. A rubble indicates that the ground floor was also used as living space. The original high entrance was on the second floor and is now accessible from the town hall. Individual slit or square windows were walled up. The roof with paving is from post-medieval times.
Ground floor in the town hall
Attic
Attic
Council Chamber
history
When Jakob von Castelmur transferred half of his inheritance from his uncle Konrad von Castelmur to the Bishop of Chur in 1285 , he received the tower as a castle loan for life. H. the castle was compensation for a service as a castle man . After his death he should revert to the diocese:
"Et turrim rottundam sitam in Vicosupranum inhabitare ... post dirctus quinque annos ... supradicta theoloneum et turris ad ecclesiam Curiensis reverti debent libere ..."
Later, Bishop Ulrich (1331-1355) lent the tower to Thomas Planta and his sons for life . In 1390 the Ammann Jacob Planta von Zuoz was entrusted with the tower. At that time the tower was the seat of the Bergell Valley Court. In the "Buoch der Vestinen" from 1410 the tower is listed as an episcopal property:
"In vall Brigaell the Gotzhus ain turm ze Vispran, ain sinweln turn ..."
In the 15th century it came back into the possession of the Castelmur, one of which was called Castelmur vom Turn . According to Ulrich Campell , the tower belonged to the Torriani family and was returned to the Castelmur after they died out.
In 1583 the tower came into the possession of the municipality, which converted it into a prison after the construction of the town hall. The council chamber, the prison cells on the 3rd floor, the extension ladder and instruments and the shameful masks all date from this time . In the wood of the winch a carved year 15 .. is still indistinctly recognizable. On the outside wall of the town hall you can still see the pillory block and the chain with which the perpetrators were chained.
Today the town hall and tower are open during the day and can be visited free of charge. Guided tours are offered on request.
Shame mask
Shame Mask 1
Extension ladder
pillory
literature
- Thomas Bitterli-Waldvogel: Swiss Castle Guide. Friedrich Reinhard, Basel a. a. 1995, ISBN 3-7245-0865-4 .
- Heinrich Boxler: The naming of castles in Northeastern Switzerland and in Graubünden (= Studia linguistica Alemannica. Vol. 6). Huber, Frauenfeld u. a. 1976, ISBN 3-7193-0538-4 (also: Dissertation University of Zurich, 1976).
- Otto P. Clavadetscher, Werner Meyer : The castle book of Graubünden. Orell Füssli, Zurich a. a. 1984, ISBN 3-280-01319-4 .
- Ludmila Seifert, Leza Dosch: Art guide through Graubünden. Scheidegger & Spiess, Zurich 2008, ISBN 978-3-85881-216-2 .
Web links
Senwelenturm at www.graubuendenkultur.ch
Individual evidence
- ↑ Schweizerisches Idiotikon , Volume XV, column 1202, Lemma sinwël ( digitized version ) and column 1204, Lemma Sinwëlli ( digitized version ).
Coordinates: 46 ° 21 '4.33 " N , 9 ° 37' 17.06" E ; CH1903: 768000 / 135650