St. Valentine Castle

St. Valentine Castle, also known as St. Valentine Residence, is located in an idyllic position at the edge of the forest in Appiano Monte

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video : Three Castles Walk in Appiano
St. Valentine Castle is located at the western end of the vineyards above Appiano.
Foto: AT, © Peer
The history of the high and slender structure in Appiano Monte dates back to the 13th century.
Foto: AT, © Peer

At the western end of the vineyards above Appiano there's St. Valentine Castle, one of the lesser-known castles along the famous Three Castles Walk. The panoramic view from here includes the Oltradige area, the main town of Bolzano and the peaks of the mighty Dolomites. In 1231, a medieval fortified tower of the Lords of St. Valentine was mentioned in this place, which was rebuilt and extended in the 15th and 16th centuries by the Lords of Fuchs. A lower part with loggia was added in the south, whereas in the north there were some farm buildings.

St. Valentine Castle (Schloss St. Valentin, in German), which offers holiday apartments today, is a high and slender building - inside it presents itself with an open vestibule with round arches on columns and several chambers with vaults. One of them features even a ribbed vault, a rarity which was usually only used for sacred buildings. By the way: In the Touriseum, the South Tyrol Museum of Tourism in Merano, you can see postcards of St. Valentin Castle from the time around 1900.