castle
A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...
in the
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality' ...
of
Untervaz
Untervaz is a municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the Landquart Region in the Switzerland, Swiss Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Graubünden.
History
Untervaz is first mentioned between 768 and 800 as ''Uaze''. Between 801 and 850 it ...
of the
Canton of Graubünden
The Grisons (; ) or Graubünden (),Names include:
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* Romansh:
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* ;
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* .
See also other names. more formally the Canton of the Grisons or the Canton of Graubünden, is one of the twenty-six cantons of Switzerland. I ...
in
Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
.
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 been dated to 1255. During the 13th century the area around the castle belonged to the knightly family Tumb von Neuburg from
Vorarlberg
Vorarlberg ( ; ; , , 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 the state with the second-highest popu ...
. 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
St. Gallen is a Swiss city and the capital of the canton of St. Gallen. It evolved from the hermitage of Saint Gall, founded in the 7th century. Today, it is a large urban agglomeration (with around 167,000 inhabitants in 2019) and repr ...
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
Gorge
A canyon (; archaic British English spelling: ''cañon''), gorge or chasm, 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 tend ...
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
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
See also
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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-Landschaft, Bas ...