Wendelstein, the vanished castle

The FAI (Fondo Ambiente Italiano), a non-profit foundation for heritage and nature conservation in Italy, occasionally dedicates special events to this vanished castle in Bolzano. Very few stones remain of the fortress that once stood with its two-metre-thick walls in the middle of today's town centre. Built around 1225 for the powerful Counts of Tyrol and recorded in writing as a "domus cum turn murate", Wendelstein was converted into a Capuchin Monastery between 1598 and 1603. Since then, only stories and legends have circulated about it.

When the religious order handed over a large part of the area to the South Tyrolean administration in 1990, the latter built the "Hannah Arendt" provincial school for social professions. The basement containing the excavations was protected and is now accessible via the school building. One floor lower than the rest of the town, some fragments of the original castle have survived.

Incidentally, coins, brooches, and ceramics were also found here, perhaps hinting at the Roman station of Pons Drusi. It is a documented fact that an important strategic bridge crossed the Isarco River here. Today's Capuchin Church is dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua and is quite simple in design. An altarpiece by Felice Brusasorci from around 1600 stands on the main altar. Even though Wendelstein has disappeared, you can still visit the Capuchin church.

And how to reach it? It is located at the Via Wolkenstein road no. 1, just below the Bolzano Cathedral. City buses stop at the Piazza Verdi or Piazza Domenicani squares, which are only a few steps away. In addition, guided tours take place on specific occasions, such as those organised by the tourist office about underground Bolzano or during the spring days hosted by the FAI.