Pala Castle ( it, Torre di Pala) is a tower in the
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
of
San Vittore of the
Canton of Graubünden
The Grisons () or Graubünden,Names include:
*german: (Kanton) Graubünden ;
* Romansh:
** rm, label= Sursilvan, (Cantun) Grischun
** rm, label=Vallader, (Chantun) Grischun
** rm, label= Puter, (Chantun) Grischun
** rm, label=Surmiran, (Cant ...
in
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
. It is a Swiss
heritage site of national significance.
History
The oldest part of the castle, the southern residential tower, may date to the late 12th century. It may have been built for a local noble, Albertus de sancto Victore, who is mentioned in 1168,
or for the
Counts of Sax. In 1265 the castle first appears in a historical record with the Sax family as owners, though whether they built it or forced the original owners out is not recorded.
The larger northern tower was built in the second half of the 13th century, by the Counts of Sax.
The two towers were separated by a wide gap and were linked by a bridge. Around 1400 the northern tower was raised to its present height of six stories and topped with a
gable roof
A gable roof is a roof consisting of two sections whose upper horizontal edges meet to form its ridge. The most common roof shape in cold or temperate climates, it is constructed of rafters, roof trusses or purlins. The pitch of a gable roof ca ...
. At that time the castle was inhabited by either a
cadet branch
In history and heraldry, a cadet branch consists of the male-line descendants of a monarch's or patriarch's younger sons ( cadets). In the ruling dynasties and noble families of much of Europe and Asia, the family's major assets— realm, title ...
of the Sax-Misox family or by one of their
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. W ...
s. Whoever it was, in the 15th century they died out and the castle was abandoned.
[
The abandoned castle slowly fell into ruin. It was cleaned and stabilized in 1944 and again in 1997.]
Castle site
The two towers that make up the castle were built on a small terrace on a mountain north of the village of San Vittore. The southern tower has mostly collapsed and was probably used for apartments. The northern tower is still standing and has a modern roof added to protect it from the elements. The northern tower was built with several latrines and a drain along with numerous niches in the walls. The tower may have had a small ring wall
A curtain wall is a defensive wall between two fortified towers or bastions of a castle, fortress, or town.
Ancient fortifications
Evidence for curtain walls or a series of walls surrounding a town or fortress can be found in the historical ...
which housed a few small buildings.[
]
Gallery
File:Torre Palas Nebengebäude1.jpg, Ruins of the southern building and the gap between the two towers
File:Torre Palas Lage.jpg, Location of Torre Pala above the village
File:Torre Palas.jpg, North and south towers
File:Torre Palas innen.jpg, Window inside the north tower
See also
* List of castles in Switzerland
This list includes castles and fortresses in Switzerland.
Entries list the name and location of the castle, fortress or ruins in each Canton in Switzerland.
Aargau
Appenzell Ausserrhoden
Appenzell Innerrhoden
Basel-Land
...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Torre di Pala
Cultural property of national significance in Graubünden
Castles in Graubünden