Tarasp Castle: A Historic Fortress in Graubünden, Switzerland

Visitor Information

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Official Website: www.notvital.com

Country: Switzerland

Civilization: Medieval European

Remains: Military

History

Tarasp Castle stands on a rocky hill about 100 meters high, overlooking the Inn river valley in the Lower Engadine region of Graubünden, Switzerland. It was constructed around 1040 by Count Ulrich I von Tarasp, who established the fortress by clearing terraces on the hill’s right bank. The castle served as a stronghold for the noble von Tarasp family, whose origins may trace back to the Como region or, according to tradition, to Rome and Milan. This family controlled extensive lands across the Engadine, Vinschgau, Valtellina, and parts of Bavaria until their male line ended in 1177 when Ulrich V entered a monastery.

Between 1087 and 1095, Ulrich II, bishop of Chur and a member of the von Tarasp family, along with his siblings, founded a “house monastery” at the castle’s base. This religious foundation evolved into the Benedictine Marienberg Abbey by 1146. The von Tarasp family also supported the nearby Müstair monastery, reflecting their close ties to the Church. By 1160, ownership of the castle had passed to the bishopric of Chur, although this transfer was contested by Gebhard von Tarasp, who briefly seized the fortress with Tyrolean aid. After a siege, Gebhard relinquished control, and the castle became a feudal possession under the bishopric.

From around 1200, the von Reichenberg family held the castle as vogts, or stewards, for the bishop. In 1239, Count Albert III of Tyrol purchased Tarasp, igniting conflicts over regional control among Tyrol, the bishopric, and local nobility. The von Matsch family took over administration in 1273 and held the castle as a hereditary fief from 1363 to 1464. Their tenure likely shaped much of the castle’s medieval structure seen today.

In 1464, Archduke Sigismund of Austria acquired Tarasp, turning it into an Austrian enclave and autonomous county. This change sparked local revolts and ongoing disputes, especially during the Reformation. Protestant locals attacked the Catholic-held castle in 1548 and again in 1578. The 16th century saw the castle expanded and fortified as a border fortress. Despite these efforts, Graubünden militia stormed and plundered it in 1612. The castle also suffered damage during the Bündner Wirren, a series of conflicts from 1620 to 1635, and from a lightning strike in 1625 that killed the daughter of the Austrian representative.

Although the Three Leagues gained independence in 1648 and the rest of Lower Engadine bought out Austrian control by 1652, Tarasp remained under Habsburg rule until 1803. In 1687, the castle was granted as an imperial hereditary fief to the princes von Dietrichstein, while fiscal sovereignty stayed with the Habsburgs. Renovations took place between 1714 and 1732, updating the castle’s interiors and structure.

The 1803 Reichsdeputationshauptschluss, a major reorganization of European territories, transferred Tarasp to the Helvetic Republic, ending its status as the last Austrian enclave in Switzerland. The castle lost its strategic role and was inhabited until about 1815. Afterward, it fell into decay and changed hands several times. In 1829, local official Men Marchi purchased it, followed by owners such as Gregor Pazeller von Tarasp and Andreas Rudolf von Planta, who began repairs.

In 1900, industrialist Karl August Lingner from Dresden acquired the castle and led a thorough restoration from 1907 to 1916. Art historian Kuno Ferdinand von Hardenberg and castle expert Johann Rudolf Rahn supervised the work. Lingner installed a large concert organ and landscaped the surrounding hill into a park. After Lingner’s death, ownership passed to King Frederick Augustus III of Saxony, who declined it. The castle then went to Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig of Hesse-Darmstadt, who opened it as a museum in 1919, hosting public tours and organ concerts.

The castle remained with the Hesse family until 2016. Attempts by local authorities to purchase and convert it into a cultural center failed due to funding issues. In 2016, Swiss artist Not Vital bought Tarasp Castle for 7.9 million Swiss francs. He plans to develop it as a cultural and tourist site featuring contemporary art and a sculpture park, supported by municipal subsidies through 2030.

Remains

Tarasp Castle occupies a conical rocky hill overlooking the Inn river valley, near the villages of Sparsels, Fontana, Florins, and Sgnè. The complex consists of three main sections: the Upper Castle (Oberburg), the Lower Castle (Unterburg), and a fortified entrance. The Upper Castle contains the main residence, south and north wings, battlements, a water cistern, and residential buildings arranged around an inner courtyard.

The Lower Castle lies to the north of the Upper Castle on a terrace. It includes a guardhouse, powder towers for storing gunpowder, a gatehouse, a chapel, and a campanile, or bell tower. The chapel is integrated into the defensive wall and features a 12th-century apse with fragmentary frescoes. The five-story bell tower is topped by a Baroque onion dome and also served as a watchtower.

The castle has about 100 rooms. The medieval palace, built west of the chapel in the 13th century, has curtain walls approximately two meters thick. Residential wings from the same century underwent renovations in the 16th and 17th centuries, including vaulted ceilings and new windows carved into the rock and decorated with wood.

Defensive improvements added in the 16th century include a zwinger, an outer courtyard with defensive walls, and two half-towers designed to protect against attacks. The exterior walls were plastered white and decorated with late 15th-century coats of arms, some of which have been restored after fading.

A notable feature is the castle organ, built by Jehmlich Orgelbau Dresden between 1915 and 1916. It is housed in the former armory, with large pipework extending through several adjoining rooms. Sound is transmitted through acoustic channels and decorative grilles into the ballroom. The organ has a conical pneumatic action, 38 registers, and a three-manual console in an adjacent chamber, making it one of Europe’s largest private organs.

Restoration efforts under Karl August Lingner included furnishing the castle with noble furniture from the Graubünden and Tyrol regions. The surrounding hill was landscaped into a park. Thanks to 20th-century restorations, the castle remains well preserved.