Neuburg Castle is a ruined castle in

Untervaz Untervaz is a municipality in the Landquart Region in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. History Untervaz is first mentioned between 768-800 as ''Uaze''. Between 801-850 it was mentioned as ''Vazes'' and between 1210-1300 it was called ''Vatz infe ...

in the Canton of Graubünden in Switzerland. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance.

History

Castle Neuburg was first built during the late 13th century or early 14th, most likely for the Baron Tumb von Neuburg from

Vorarlberg Vorarlberg ( , ; gsw, label= Vorarlbergisch, Vorarlbearg, , or ) is the westernmost state () of Austria. It has the second-smallest geographical area after Vienna and, although it also has the second-smallest population, it is the state with the ...

. It is unclear whether there was an earlier castle or why the Tumb von Neuburg family acquired land in Graubünden. It was first mentioned in 1345 as ''Nüwburg''. In 1360 they had to give the castle to Heinz and Martin Buwix as

collateral Collateral may refer to: Business and finance * Collateral (finance), a borrower's pledge of specific property to a lender, to secure repayment of a loan * Marketing collateral, in marketing and sales Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Collate ...

for a loan, but by 1385 they were back in possession of the castle. In 1396 Frik Tumb quarreled with Ulrich Brun von Rhäzüns, which led to a feud between the two families and Neuburg Castle being besieged. In 1400 Johann von Neuburg became a

vassal A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerain ...

to the

Bishop of Chur The Bishop of Chur (German: ''Bischof von Chur'') is the ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Chur, Grisons, Switzerland (Latin: ''Dioecesis Curiensis'').bailiff to administer the estates. In the following years, the castle was expanded, but during the 16th century it was abandoned and fell into ruin. Then, in 1577 the municipality bought the castle and associated barony. In the 16th Century, the site was abandoned and began to collapse.

Castle site

The castle site includes the still visible rectangular keep, which is one of the largest in

Raetia Raetia ( ; ; also spelled Rhaetia) was a province of the Roman Empire, named after the Rhaetian people. It bordered on the west with the country of the Helvetii, on the east with Noricum, on the north with Vindelicia, on the south-west ...

. The keep was four stories tall and was about in size. The original high entrance was located on the west, about above ground level. The tower was divided into three parts by large interior walls. North and west of the keep, the foundations and portions of the curtain wall and

gatehouse A gatehouse is a type of fortified gateway, an entry control point building, enclosing or accompanying a gateway for a town, religious house, castle, manor house, or other fortification building of importance. Gatehouses are typically the mo ...

are still visible. In the northern courtyard, there is a large round cistern. The castle was repeatedly expanded. The original structure included arcades, detached kitchens and sinks. The walls were about thick at the base, though they thinned out as they rose. On the mountain side of the castle site, a high gate led to the middle section of the castle. File:Neuburg Lage.jpg, Location of Ruine Neuburg File:Neuburg wohnen.jpg, Interior of the castle, living quarters File:Neuburg Wohnraum.jpg, Interior of the castle, living quarters File:Neuburg oben.jpg, Interior of the castle, fourth storey

References

{{Authority control Castles in Graubünden Cultural property of national significance in Graubünden Ruined castles in Switzerland Untervaz

History

Castle site

See also

References