Gardena Castle

On the left side of the Rio Gardena, between Selva Gardena and Santa Cristina, there is the Renaissance building of Castel Gardena, surrounded by numerous fish ponds that were name-giving for the castle (the German name "Fischburg" means "Fishing Castle"). It was constructed between 1622 and 1641 by Engelhard Dietrich von Wolkenstein-Trostburg as summer residence and hunting castle, even if the monumental construction conveys Mediaeval grandeur.

Actually, the inventory of the castle reveals that the castle contains more hunting weapons than weapons of war. Moreover appliances for fishing were found - not far to seek, as there are the nearby fishing ponds. At the end of the 18th century, the castle started deteriorating, in 1826 parts of the inventory were sold by public sale. In the mid 19th century, Leopold Earl of Wolkenstein-Trostburg gave the castle to the municipality of Santa Cristina. In those days, a retirement home or poorhouse was meant to be established in the castle.

However, in 1926, it was sold to Baron Carlo Franchetti from Venice, who had the castle restored inside and outside and furnished it with chattels of South Tyrol and the Val Gardena. Still today the castle is owned by the Venetian family and can not be visited.