Innerjuvalt Castle: A Medieval Hill Castle in Switzerland
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.6
- Popularity
- Very Low
- Country
- Switzerland
- Primary era
- Medieval
- Eras represented
- Medieval
- Civilizations
- Holy Roman Empire
- Site type
- Military
- Remains
- Castle
On this page12 sections
History
Innerjuvalt Castle, also known as Oberjuvalt, is a medieval hill castle in Switzerland, at Rothenbrunnen, built around 1250 by the Lords of Juvalt. It stands on a rocky outcrop above the entrance to the Domleschg Valley and is the younger of two castles in the municipality.
Construction and Juvalt Ownership
The upper castle was enlarged around 1273. The Lords of Juvalt continued to manage the property through inheritance agreements. In 1342, Albrecht and Bertram von Juvalt settled a dispute in which Bertram surrendered his rights to Innerjuvalt.
Another division took place in 1372 between Eglof and Friedrich von Juvalt. Eglof received the castle along with meadows, a mill, and vineyards. His wife Ursula was living at Innerjuvalt in 1382, showing that the castle remained a family residence during this period.
Relocation and Abandonment
In 1423, Rudolf von Juvalt was ordered to live permanently in the castle. By about 1440, however, the family had moved to the more accessible lower castle. Innerjuvalt continued to receive alterations, and a third story was added to its tower in the late fifteenth century.
In 1462, a woman from the Juvalt family sold the castle to her relative by marriage, Pedrutt von Wannis, for 500 Rhenish gold florins. The castle was abandoned several decades later and was described as a ruin by the sixteenth century.
Excavation and Conservation
Excavations took place in 1980, 1982, and 1990. From 1979 onward, the communities of Domleschg and castle-preservation associations in Graubünden added a new roof and repaired or rebuilt parts of the castle. The Burgenverein Domleschg is the present owner, and the restored tower remains usable for private functions.
Remains
Innerjuvalt occupies a narrow rocky outcrop at about 780 metres above sea level, east of and above Rothenbrunnen. The site is divided into a lower castle at the foot of the cliff and an upper castle on artificially levelled rock. Steep cliffs protected much of the complex, while a defensive wall secured the lower western side.
Lower and Upper Castle
Lower Castle
The lower castle consisted of a ring wall, a gatehouse on the southern side, and a large palas, the principal residential building of a medieval castle, set along the wall. Its courtyard had a northern terrace used for cultivation. Much of this area has been lost, but a wall section about 20 metres long and 4 metres high survives.
Upper Castle
The upper castle began with a two-storey palas built on levelled rock. A southern auxiliary building accompanied it, and the palas may have housed workers while construction was being completed. A tower and residential wing were added later, expanding the upper complex.
Defensive Features and Surviving Tower
Fortified Tower
The tower is a three-storey bergfried, a fortified tower that served as a defensive refuge and a sign of status. Its entrance was elevated above ground level. During the late fifteenth century, the tower gained another storey and a defensive gallery along its eastern and northern sides.
Outer Enclosure
An outer defensive enclosure surrounded a cistern and a bake oven below the castle. Debris from the cistern contained two fifteenth-century helmets, linking the utility area with evidence of the castle’s defensive equipment.
Restored Interior
The restored tower is habitable and contains painted coats of arms. Its new roof and repaired or rebuilt sections reflect the modern conservation work, while the lower castle remains largely ruined or lost.
