Castel Thun

hen one travels up the Valley of the Adige River (Val dell`Adige) to the Val di Non, one passes the promontory, the "Rocchetta", that overlooks the entrance to the Valley as a gate keep. Passing it, one sees to the right the imposing Castel Thun which stands on a wooded hill surrounded by apple orchards, in the Municipality of Ton. In the evening, it is striking illumined with beams of white light and red. It is a monumental building of medieval origin, the seat of the powerful family Thun. This family has a history of eight centuries that has deeply marked the Valley of Noce, the the TrentinoTyrolean region and of significant European events. Since the thirteenth century this noble family is at the top of the regional aristocracy, but it is from 1407 that the family takes precedence over other noble dynasties of the Val di Non, who were weakened by the revolt of the people, oppressed by taxes and other abuses, against the Prince Bishop of Trento. At the end of the fifteenth century, the Thun family branches out to various family lines, but always with a common strategy for action. In that period, Sigismondo of Thun exercised a leading role. He was able to increase the influence of the family coordinating the family`s initiatives and rich heritage with shrewdness. He was also the imperial spokesperson imperial, signing in 1563 the proceedings of the Council of Trent on behalf of the Austrian Emperor Ferdinand. He died in the terrible fire that destroyed the castle and caught him while he was in bed. After his death, there developed deep disagreements between the various branches of the family dividing the once excellent family that had remained until then remained undivided. Yet there was enough unity to enable several members of the family to carry out important diplomatic posts and military. In 1609 the Emperor Ferdinand II of the Thun family obtained the title of Count, with the consolidation of the branch of Bohemia of the Hohenstein. Between 1650 and 1803 the family boasts 12 Prince Bishops. In later centuries the Trentino branch weakened gradually, while the Bohemian branch becomes an important player in European political history.

exploiting the natural slope of the hill.

In the thirteenth century, the Thun family, owners of the Tower of the Visione and of the castle of Ton in Castelletto, bought the castle of Belvesino. This castle was believed to be the original nucleus of the palace which had a double wall, protected by ramparts and towers, with moat and drawbridge built with wisdom

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You enter the "Spanish door" (1566), and cross the drawbridge, one will come to a large veranda where they were originally placed the cannons. The main body of the castle, in a typically Gothic style, is quadrangular with four square towers at the corners. On the ground floor, in front of the guard room, there is the chapel of St. George, adorned with a colorful series of fresco decorations in the Nordic style. In the old kitchen, there is furniture and a collection of objects related to domestic needs. The first floor houses the rooms of the nobility, richly furnished, among which is the valuable "Bishop's room" with a coffered ceiling, a monumental door and wood-paneled walls, that was used by the Prince Bishop Alfonso Sigmund Thun. All the rooms on the second and third floor are furnished with period pieces and different backgrounds, collections of glass, ceramics, porcelain, alabaster, silver and bronze. In these environments , there are displayeda rich collection of family paintings created by Nordic, Italian and local painters. In several of the rooms, there are beautiful old tile (olle majolica)stoves produced in Sfruz in Val di Non. In 1992, the Autonomous Province of Trento, bought Castel Thun and proceed its complete restoration. As of April 17, 2010, at the conclusion of the work, the castle was opened to visitors. The castle is the one of the extensions of the Castle of Buonconsiglio in Trento that houses monuments and collections of historical artifacts from the Province. Other such extensions are the Castel Beseno Besenello and the Castle of Stenico. Written by Gianantonio Agosti - President -Anastasia Val di Non -- Associazione delle Guide ai Beni Sacri