Castle Ancient BW Stock Image

Castel Belfort, though partially in ruins, is still an imposing and eye-catching building. It features an old embattled tower surrounded by wide rectangular outer walls. The castle was built in 1311 by concession of Henry, Count of Tyrol. The key feature of Castel Belfort, which greatly influenced its history, is its location near Spormaggiore, in an area under the jurisdiction of the older castle of Sporo-Rovina, where it was erected to protect the district of Andalo and Molveno. This explains why it changed hands so many times over the centuries, following political arrangements and settlements. The building does not show Medieval features. It rather looks like a modern fortress - an odd result of its reconstruction by Counts Saracini after the fire that devastated the original building in 1670. The Napoleonic occupation and the following changes in ownership contributed to its decline.