The Prösels Castle (Schloss Prösels, Castello di Presule) is a beautiful castle near the Schlern mountains in South Tyrol, Italy.
Schloss Prösels
The outside of the castle is open to the public. To see the inside, a guided tour takes around 1 hour and provides many interesting insights into the present and the past.
The castle has a rich history with changed owners. After the castle has been renovated it is open to the public and can be used for events.
Prösels Castle
The castle was place of a witch-hunt. A sculpture reminds about that dark age.
In memory of the witch-hunt
The castle has added many defense features. It was only occupied briefly during the Peasant’s War in 1525.
The castle is a host of art exhibitions. The artists have to leave one piece of their work behind. That way the castle gets a growing collection.
To protect them from the weather, the towers have now a roof on top.
View to the Schlern mountain: the witches were accused to fly up to that mountain and to kill and eat small children:
The main entrance inside the outer walls:
The area near the chapel is the oldest one. The water cistern is still in use today:
The weapon collection with rifles from the Napoleon area:
The chapel of the castle:
Many walls feature paintings:
An interesting piece is that old original chest: it was left behind in a tower during war time evacuation:
Because it was mostly dark inside, so it features as ‘key slide’ to assist opening the chset: put the key above the hole and use the metal guide to slide it in:
The library:
Luxury of a toilet:
Room with table and beautiful view:
Heating the building in is nearly impossible: That’s why the castle is closed in winter time.
View to the military ‘powder tower’ which was used to keep the dangerous material outside the castle:
It is possible to organize events in the castle. Below it has been prepared for a wedding (no flowers and table decoration yet). Nope, we were not invited ;-).
The tour was really interesting, enriched by the guide with funny, bizarre and as well sad stories about the rulers and owners of the castles. There is a Samurai war suit in the castle! Not to forget about all the peasants who at the end paid and worked for the castle. Or to be put head down, attached to rope, 6 meters down into a prison hole with no light, nearly no food, waiting for months, either for death or torture. I’m glad time has changed.
Maintaining the castle the large property is a huge task which is managed by the Prösels Castle Curatorship. I’m glad that this way the rich history is preserved so we can learn from the past.
Happy Pröseling 🙂
MCU on Eclipse 
Erich, great shots and thank you for sharing. As someone who looks at castles for their architecture these shots were beautiful. Safe travels.
LikeLike
Bill,
thanks. I wish I would have taken more shots from the inside. But it was rather difficult and some places did not had good light conditions. Very impressive was the prison part: just a 50×50 cm opening in the floor, with a hole about 2×2 meter and 6 meter deep. The guide told that they have put up to 8 people down there, just with a few straws on the floor, with nothing else. Complete darkness. No way to escape. Barely food. And this for many months.
LikeLike
Not too many like that in Kentucky.
LikeLike
But it has at least a few, with the one in Versailles near Lexington probably the most picturesque one.
LikeLike
The towns around Lexington are Frankfurt, Versailles, Paris, Athens …. but pronounced with a Kentucky accent 🙂
LikeLike
So that makes up a Little Europe 🙂
LikeLike