Castelvecchio Castle

In former times, above the "Paulsner Höhe", a moraine hill from the last Ice Age on the way to the Val Guardia valley beneath San Paolo, the castle of Castelvecchio (Altenburg, in German) was once enthroned. The exact origin or meaning of the name - not to be confused with the eponymous locality in Caldaro - is still unclear. Lord Egno I of Appiano began to build the castle in 1189, and the Archdiocese of Trento finished it some years later. Opposite it there's Guardia Castle, which dates back to the same period and was also in the hands of the Lords of Appiano.

Castelvecchio Castle was planned to protect the way into the Val Guardia, but until 1525 AD it served as the seat of the Altenburg Court, which included large parts of the current municipal area of Appiano. The castle accommodated also the single judges, called "richter zu Altennburg ze Eppann". From the 16th century on, when the court hearings were moved to Gandegg Castle, the complex visibly decayed. In 1910, the palas was converted into a small house. Today, only some remains of Castelvecchio Castle are left, which are privately owned.