Segonzano Castle

The castle was built around the XIIIth century and was already in ruins by the end of the XVth, as documented by Dürer's watercolour works.

The majestic embattled ruins of the Segonzano Castle are perched on a rocky spur overlooking the Cembra valley. Built in the Middle Ages by Rodolfo Scancio, on the authorisation of the Prince-Bishop of Trento, Federico Vanga, the castle served as an important fortified site guarding the trade route passing through the Adige Valley and across the Cantilaga bridge on the river Avisio. The fortress became hugely important between the 14th and 15th centuries.
In the 14th century it was owned by the Scancio, Rottenburg and Greifenstein families and then passed, in 1424, to the Dukes of Tyrol. 
When German painter Albrecht Dürer passed here on his first journey to Venice in 1494, he was so impressed by the gloomy walls of the fortress, that he dedicated two celebrated watercolours to it. In 1971, Dürer's historic visit to the site was commemorated by two porphyry pillars, at Faver and Piazzo di Segonzano, marking the locations from which he was inspired to paint the two views.

visitable: yes | suitable for: families - schools

opening times

Open to the public

Notes on the accessibility to the site

The access roads to the Castle area are very steep; there are no parking spaces, but space for two or three parking spaces along the road. The three ramps indicated are the path, on average 130 cm wide, with a compact and regular grit bottom, which goes around and crosses the Castle. The first ramp indicated has a maximum gradient of 23.3% and is preceded by a 25-meter long path with a slight slope, with uneven mixed surface; it leads to the first flat and irregular grassy area inside the Castle and to one of the two ruins with a wooden mezzanine that presents a difference in height at the entrance 6 cm high. The second ramp crosses the inner area of ​​the Castle, has a maximum slope of 18% and leads inside the other ruin where the shows are held; this space is flat and covered in wood; the auditorium is accessible with a height difference of 4 cm and the platform for the shows with a minimum height difference of 25 cm. The steps indicated are respectively at the beginning and at the end of the second ramp and all have a minimum depth of at least 130 cm. The third ramp, to follow, returns to the feet of the Castle and has a maximum inclination of 43.3% and a short section with slight slope. Also in this third part of the route there are steps: 13 about 10 cm high and one 20 cm high at the finish line. There are no toilets, mobile chemical baths are brought if necessary.

Information collected by the staff of the Cooperative HandiCREA.