Castelmur Castle (Bondo)
| Castelmur Castle | |
|---|---|
| Ruine Castelmur | |
| Bregaglia | |
Tower of Castelmur
|
|
 Castelmur Castle
Castelmur Castle
|
|
| Coordinates | 46°20′28″N 9°33′38″E / 46.341112°N 9.560451°ECoordinates: 46°20′28″N 9°33′38″E / 46.341112°N 9.560451°E |
| Type | hill castle |
| Code | CH-GR |
| Height | 930 m above the sea |
| Site information | |
| Condition | ruin |
| Site history | |
| Built | before 842 |
Castelmur Castle is a castle in the village of Bondo in the municipality of Bregaglia of the Canton of Graubünden in Switzerland. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance. The fortifications at Castelmur may be, after the Three Castles of Bellinzona, the most important example of medieval valley fortifications in modern Switzerland.
The castle site has been occupied and fortified since at least the Roman era. The important trade road over the Septimer Pass runs through the Val Bregaglia. At Bondo the valley narrows leaving a narrow passage between the Maira river and a large rocky outcropping, making the castle site an ideal location for a customs station and fortification. The Romans built a guard station and village known as murus or in the 3rd century Itinerarium Antonini. The foundations of several buildings as well as one building's hypocaust and two small votive altars have been excavated from the Roman settlement.
After the fall of the Western Roman Empire the Castelmur next appears in 842 as castellum ad Bergalliam. At that time it was owned by the Emperor and held by Constantius of Sargans. It included the porta bergalliae a customs and toll station located nearby. In 960 Emperor Otto I granted the castle and right to collect tolls to the Bishop of Chur to help secure this important alpine trade route. In 988 Emperor Otto III confirmed his grandfather's grant to the Bishop and specifically mentioned both the castle and the nearby Nossa Donna Church. The current tower was probably built around 1200.
...
Wikipedia