Hocheppan Castle
Hocheppan Castle | |
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Castel d'Appiano | |
Coordinates | 46°29′34″N 11°14′32″E / 46.4927°N 11.2422°E |
Type | hill castle |
Code | IT-BZ |
Site information | |
Condition | largely preserved |
Site history | |
Built | around 1125 |
Hocheppan Castle (
Location
The medieval hill castle stands on precipitous crags above Missian.
History
Most South Tyrolean castle scholars believe the castle hill was already settled and fortified in the
According to one theory, Hocheppan Castle was built around 1125 by Count Ulrich II of Eppan as a stronghold (Trutzburg). Other researchers believe a later construction date is more probable.
The former seat of the counts of Eppan near the village of
In 1158, after the Eppans had ambushed a Papal delegation, the castle was destroyed in a punitive expedition under
Meanwhile, the structure of the castle has been consolidated and, in places, restored. The site is home to a snack bar today.
Description
Hocheppan Castle
Access to the castle, which was extended over the centuries, is from the north through a complex system of outworks, guarded by battery towers, from the late
Castle chapel
The
Chalk Tower
About ten minutes walk from Hocheppan is the Chalk Tower (Kreidenturm), a separates outwork of the castle. It consists of a very high, white, limed tower that is probably still at its original height. It is surrounded by a small chemise.
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The entrance side
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In the castle courtyard
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Outdoor seating at the café
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The castle chapel
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Frescoes in the chapel
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The Chalk Tower
Literature
- Walter Landi, Helmut Stampfer and Thomas Steppan: Hocheppan: eine Grafenburg mit romanischen Kapellenfresken (= Burgen. 10). Schnell + Steiner, Regensburg, 2011, ISBN 978-3-7954-2383-4
- Johann Nothdurfter: Burgkapelle Hocheppan: Beobachtungen zu spätantiker Herkunft und vorburgenzeitlicher Bebauung. In: Arx, 23, 2001, pp. 14–18
- Helmut Stampfer and Thomas Steppan: Die Burgkapelle von Hocheppan. Athesia, Bozen, 1998, ISBN 978-8-8701-4957-9
External links
- Entry in the monument browser on the website of the South Tyrolean State Monument Department
- hocheppan.it
- Artist's impression by Wolfgang Braun
- Hocheppan Castle ensemble conservation plan by the municipality of Eppan (pdf)