Cornedo Castle

About 3 km from Bolzano is the entrance to the Val d'Ega valley, in former centuries a strategic position, which was also on the road to the Brennero Pass. And exactly there, on a steep rocky hill above Cardano, in Cornedo village, a mighty castle was built in the 13th century by the Lords von Greifensteiner: "castrum de Curniet". Except for a brief occupation by Frederick IV, Cornedo Castle then remained in the possession of the Lords von Lichtenstain from 1378 to 1760. For a short time it was also in the hands of the municipality of Bolzano.

Today Cornedo Castle - "Burg Karneid" in German, "Castel Cornedo" in Italian -, one of the most beautiful and best preserved castles in South Tyrol, is owned by the family of Baron Christoph von Malaisè. It was opened to the public in 2006. It consists of a keep, a residential tower and palace, an inner courtyard with fountain, open staircases and a two-storey loggia, as well as a circular wall with dovetail battlements. Inside, the fresco "The Triumph of Death" from the 14th century and the valuable Romanesque murals in the Chapel of St. Anne are particularly noteworthy.

Cornedo Castle also offers its visitors a magnificent view on the valley basins of the Valle Isarco and Valle dell'Adige as well as on Bolzano. Probably its former illustrious guests already knew to appreciate this: The minstrel Oswald von Wolkenstein performed his songs here, Albrecht Dürer drew some of his sketches in the castle, Goethe is said to have stopped here on his trip to Italy and the Tyrolean freedom fighter Andreas Hofer should also have visited it. And how to reach Cornedo Castle? In the centre of Cardano, a district of the municipality of Cornedo all'Isarco, there are parking facilities and a bus stop. From there the castle can be reached on foot in 15 minutes and can be visited during a guided tour (by appointment only).