Princely castle

Another highlight of our South Tyrol castles tour was the visit to the Prince's Castle in Merano. The small medieval castle is located in the center of Merano at the town hall and very close to a major shopping street. The castle has a beautiful inner courtyard and the rooms still have original paneling, stoves and furniture from the 15th-17th centuries. to see. There are also some original weapons from the period hanging in one of the stairs. During our tour of the castle we felt as if we had been transported to the Middle Ages. It was really fun. It is worth looking at this small and very beautiful castle because it was not built in the 19th century. (Historicism) was drastically built / rebuilt. The Prince's Castle in the center of Merano was the seat of the noble Tyrolean rulers. Archduke Sigmund of Austria, known as “the rich in coins”, had the small, centrally located castle built behind the town hall at the foot of the Küchelberg (second half of the 15th century) and probably used it as a city apartment. The group of buildings was more like an artistically designed solid house with a weak surround than a fully developed castle. Thus, the castle was often rated as a "residence" in the past. The castle remained a princely residence until the 16th century. In 1516, Emperor Maximilian I also stayed in the castle. With its wood-paneled rooms, tiled stoves, chambers and maiden rooms, the castle today offers a first-class insight into late medieval life. The furnishings date from the Gothic and Renaissance periods. Some weapons, such as lances and halberds, have also been preserved from that time. In addition, the castle has a small chapel, which is decorated with interesting frescoes from the 16th century.