Casaccia Castle (Pfeffersburg Castle)

In 1194, a small castle was built on a hill called Kasatsch or Casatsch (Latin "casaccia" = large house) above the village of Nalles (Nals). Ulrich Rufus, Marquard and Hartwig from Tesimo as well as the brothers Heinrich and Friedrich von Pitzol got the permission by the archbishop Konrad II from Beseno to build a so-called chemise castle, that's to say a castle with a curtain wall. In exchange, his trustees - among them also the Lords of Appiano - got permanent access to the castle.

Over the centuries, Casaccia Castle (Burg Kasatsch, in German) passed into the hands of the Lords of Greifenstein, of Pfeffersberg (hence the name Pfeffersburg), Schneeburg and Giovanelli. After 1600, the castle fell into decay. In the years between 1999 and 2002, the Casaccia ruin was restored under the owner Verena Jordan, who prevented the building from decaying. Parts of the donjon and of the curtain wall have been preserved and can be visited all year round: The castle complex is also a popular location for cultural events and open-air concerts. A nice walk takes you in 15 minutes from Nalles to the castle ruin and the Kasatsch-Pfeffersburg tavern below it.