Castel Flavon (in German Haselburg, formerly Schloss Küepach) is a medieval castle in the comune of Bolzano: it overlooks the Aslago district, rising on the wooded area of the Schelmwald.
What to see
The castle today has the three-wing form given to it by the lords of Fiè (the Völs) between 1475 and 1541, when they deeply altered it; the artificial pond above the castle is also due to them. There are numerous 16th-century frescoes, some of which were lost in the collapse that struck the north wing in 1880; among the authors is cited Bartlmä Dill Riemenschneider, son of Tilman Riemenschneider. In the latest restoration traces of the 14th-century building came to light, visible in the underground hall.
Probably raised on the remains of a Rhaetian hill-fort, the castle dates from the early years of the 13th century. The first owners were the lords of Haselberg, from Haslach, that is Aslago; in 1259 they sold their jurisdictional rights over the parish district of Bolzano to Count Meinhard II of Tyrol-Gorizia. The castle then passed from hand to hand, until the works of the lords of Fiè. The collapse of 1880 struck the north wing, which was reinstated in the latest restoration, promoted by the counts Toggenburg of Bolzano, the present owners, and carried out between 2001 and 2002: a work that involved the whole building, with the restoration of the east and west wings.
Visiting
The castle is privately owned by the counts Toggenburg and stands above the Aslago district, in Bolzano; the sources consulted do not say whether and how it can be visited, so access conditions and openings should be checked, starting from the castle's website, castelflavon.it.
Our editors' tip
Look for the castle's three wings and the artificial pond above it: both date from the lords of Fiè, who transformed it between 1475 and 1541.
