Monteleone Castle

Monteleone Castle, landmark of the village of Cermes, was built in the 13th century by the Lords of Marlengo, including a thick circular wall, which is only partly visible today. In 1426 it was taken over by the von Fuchs family. The extensions date back to them and to the 16th, 17th and 18th century. The result is a castle with numerous beautifully decorated rooms, which allows an art historical journey through time from the Middle Ages to the Rococo period.

Today, Monteleone Castle - "Schloss Lebenberg" in German, "Castel Monteleone" in Italian - is one of the largest privately owned estates in South Tyrol: The Cornelius van Rossem family, who have owned the castle since 1925, opens it to visitors in summer. Worth seeing are the Hall of Mirrors, furnished with Venetian glass, the Napoleonic Hall, the Hall of Knights with the family tree of the von Fuchs family with 264 portraits from 12 generations, the Gothic Chapel of St. Stephen with its valuable frescos, as well as the old collection of weapons.

A hike can be perfectly combined with a visit to the castle: Along the Marlengo Waalweg path you can enjoy impressive views on the castle, especially in autumn when the vines around the castle change colour. And how to reach Monteleone Castle? From Cermes a hike of about 1.5 hours leads to the castle: Just follow the signs "Lebenberg-St. Anna". By car it can be reached by following the Via Lebenberg road to one of the parking spaces.