Castelchiaro

The Castelchiaro Ruin - "Leuchtenburg" in German, "Castelchiaro" in Italian - towers into the sky above Lake Caldaro, but belonging to the municipality of Vadena. Probably it was constructed in 1250 by the Lords of Rottenburg, but the exact date has not been documented. The South Tyrolean Castle Institute even proceeds on the assumption that it was constructed before 1200.

The castle complex features a circular wall which protected the castle complex from assaults. Due to the fact that the position of the castle has not been really well-protected it was presumably constructed in order to impress. Numerous castles of the Rottenburg leadership were razed after the conflicts with Frederick IV, Duke of Austria, in 1410, but not Castelchiaro, which was handed over to the sovereigns and in the following years was lent to officials of Caldaro. After 1610, Castelchiaro remained uninhabited and started decaying.

Only in the 20th century, the walls of the ruin were conserved. Castelchiaro consists of a circular wall, inside which there were several residential buildings. These buildings could only be preserved to some extend. However, there are also well-preserved rests of the great hall with frescoes dating back to the 15th century. And how to reach Castelchiaro? A a 1-hour walk leads from Campi al Lago, a locality belonging to Caldaro, to the ruin.