Rodengo Castle

Rodengo Castle - "Schloss Rodenegg" in German, "Castel Rodengo" in Italian - is located between Sciaves and Rio Pusteria in the municipality of Rodengo in the Valle Isarco. It sits enthroned on a small rock outcrop, steeply descending into the gorge of the Rienza river. Rodengo Castle is one of the most majestic fortresses of its time in South Tyrol, and you will be astonished by its position and by the large number of rooms and cellars. Friedrich I of Rodank built the castle in 1140. The Lords of Rodank were significant ministerials and up to the extinction of this house around 1300, the castle was in possession of this family. Thereupon Rodengo Castle was subject to territorial town administration for 200 years, until it passed on to the Counts of Wolkenstein-Rodenegg.

In the 16th century, the castle was expanded by the family of the famous minne singer Oswald von Wolkenstein and transformed into a majestic building. Still today, offsprings of this family are in possession of the castle and parts are even inhabited, surrounded by a gorgeous castle garden. Inside the antique walls there is a museum. The majority of the furniture of the showrooms date back to late Renaissance. Unique and capturing is above all the famous "Iwein Cycle", which was discovered and layed open only in 1972. This fresco cycle to the Iwein epos of Hartmann von Aue represents the oldest profane mural paintings in the German speaking area. Probably it was painted between 1200 and 1220 AD. The 11 paintings, which can be admired in the tap room of the castle, narrate the legend of Iwein, one of 12 knights at the court of King Artus.

Another highlight, however, is the so-called "Lautfresserloch" - a narrow dungeon where in the 17th century Matthias Perger, an accused warlock condemned to the stake, was imprisoned. Because of his preferences for soup - which in Tyrolean dialect is simply called "Lauteres", that's to say "fluid" - he was named "Lauterfresser". And how to reach Rodengo Castle? It is located close to the SS49, the Val Pusteria Road, and therefore easily accessible. From the parking space near the church in direction of Rodengo, a path leads in only a few-minutes walk to the castle.