Gardena Castle

Located between Selva Gardena and Santa Cristina, Gardena Castle is a Renaissance building and a former summer and hunting lodge

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Gardena Castle is named after the numerous fish ponds in the surroundings (”Fischburg”, the German name, means “Fishing Castle”).
Foto: AT, © Peer
Information about the history of the castle - it was built in the 17th century.
Foto: AT, © Peer
Nowadays, the Renaissance building is in private hands and not accessible.
Foto: AT, © Peer

On the left side of the Rio Gardena stream, between Selva Gardena and Santa Cristina, lies Gardena Castle castle (Ladin: Ciastel de Gherdëina). It is surrounded by numerous fishponds, which gave the castle its German name "Fischburg". There are said to have once been 12 of them.

The castle was built between 1622 and 1641 by Engelhard Dietrich von Wolkenstein-Trostburg as a summer residence and hunting lodge. The monumental building nevertheless has a fortress-like medieval appearance. The castle was equipped with hunting weapons rather than arms for warfare. In addition, fishing equipment was found, which is not surprising given the fishponds.

Towards the end of the 18th century, the castle fell into disrepair, and in 1826 part of its inventory was auctioned off. In the mid-19th century, Count Leopold von Wolkenstein-Trostburg gifted Fischburg castle to the municipality of Santa Cristina, which intended to establish a home for the elderly and the poor within its walls. In 1926, the castle was sold to Baron Carlo Franchetti. He had it renovated, both inside and out, and furnished it with items acquired in South Tyrol and the Val Gardena. Today, the castle remains in the possession of the Venetian family and is not accessible.