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Rappenstein Castle is a ruined
The castle is located in the narrow Cosenz
File:Rappenstein_Anbau.jpg, Foundation of the ''Nebengebäude''
File:Rappenstein_innen.jpg, Interior with wooden beams
File:Rappenstein_Innenmauer.jpg, Interior, on the left side of the entrance
File:Rappenstein_Frontmauer.jpg, Main wall with entrance
castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...
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 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 inf ...
of the Canton of Graubünden 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 ...
.
History
Almost nothing is known about the history of this castle, including its original name. Based on its construction, it was built around the middle of the 13th century. A wooden beam in the castle has beendated
Date or dates may refer to:
*Date (fruit), the fruit of the date palm (''Phoenix dactylifera'')
Social activity
*Dating, a form of courtship involving social activity, with the aim of assessing a potential partner
**Group dating
*Play date, an ...
to 1255. During the 13th century the area around the castle belonged to the knightly family Tumb von Neuburg from Vorarlberg
Vorarlberg ( , ; gsw, label=Vorarlbergisch, Vorarlbearg, , or ) is the westernmost States of Austria, state () of Austria. It has the second-smallest geographical area after Vienna and, although it also has the second-smallest population, it is ...
. Since their main castle, nearby Neuburg Castle, was first built around 1300, before then the Tumb von Neuburg family may have lived at Rappenstein or at another demolished castle on Neuburg. One of the walls of the castle shows evidence of a second construction phase which reinforced the wall. This may indicate that the castle was inhabited for a while or that it was used as a fallback fortification in case of war.
In 1450 the von Mötteli or von Rappenstein family from around St. Gallen acquired Neuburg Castle and its surroundings including the castle. They had taken the Rappenstein name after their castle near St. Gallen. When they moved to Graubünden, that name was applied to this castle as well. By the late 15th century, Rappenstein had been abandoned. In 1496, when the von Rappensteins sold Neuburg to the Bishop of Chur, Rappenstein Castle was not mentioned but its land was included in the sale.
Castle site
The castle is located in the narrow Cosenz Gorge
A canyon (from ; archaic British English spelling: ''cañon''), or gorge, is a deep cleft between escarpments or cliffs resulting from weathering and the erosion, erosive activity of a river over geologic time scales. Rivers have a natural tenden ...
near Untervaz, and during rainstorms can be completely inaccessible. It consists of two walls built across natural caves which form a main building and the ''Nebengebäude'' or neighboring building. The main building can be entered through a narrow opening in the high and thick wall. The exterior walls still show the Pietra Rasa construction, where the mortar that holds the rough stones together is also used as a plaster to them. Beyond the wall, the cave is about deep and two stories high. The ends of wooden beams that once supported the upper level can still be seen. They appear to have been intentionally cut, probably when the castle was abandoned.
Gallery
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:Rappenstein Castle Castles in Graubünden Ruined castles in Switzerland Cave castles in Switzerland Untervaz