Castel Thun. A new atmosphere

The charm of the past combines with the possibilities of digital technology 

[ Archivio fotografico Castello del Buonconsiglio Monumenti e collezioni provinciali - tutti i diritti riservati - G. Zotta]

From 27 June 2016, Castel Thun will offer visitors fresh perspectives and museum displays with a range of interesting new features. Among the main innovations that can be admired there are the renewed displays in the Guard Room and Ancestral Hall, with a sumptuous table laid with porcelain dishes and period glassware, while works of art have been added in many rooms, including sculptures, alabaster objects, candelabras, paintings, documents and porcelain items, making this aristocratic residence even more fascinating. A new film supervised by Katia Bernardi is also presented, recounting the long history of the Thun family, screened on the first floor of the Counts’ Palace. 

At the end of the Middle Ages the extensive Thun family was already rich and powerful, being divided into several branches. It had a strategic network of castles and forts in Trentino, particularly in the Val di Non, with the Thun manor house standing out, dominating the surrounding valley from a privileged position. After the decline in the fortunes of the Trentino family, which led to sale of their town house to the Municipality of Trento in 1871, in 1926 the castle passed into the hands of the Bohemian branch of the family, which not only kept it as a residence, but also contributed to conserving the building and enriching the furnishings.
Renaissance, 18th century, Empire and Biedermaier styles coexist side by side in the halls: writing desks, chests of drawers with fold down desks, cabinets, couches, Empire style bedside cabinets, majolica stoves, silverware, porcelain, glassware, melee weapons, coffers, carriages and sledges, in addition to paintings by the Bassano school, portraits by Giambattista Lampi, Crespi, Molteni, Garavaglia, Procaccini and Bergler and sculptures by Insom, make this dwelling a true gem just waiting to be discovered. On the death of the last Thun resident, Zdenko Franz Thun Hohenstein, the Province of Trento decided to purchase the castle in 1992, coming into possession not only of a monument representing a treasure chest of memories, with a wealth of art collections, a precious library and extraordinary archives, but also an aura of the past life of an illustrious house over many centuries, a dynasty of international importance which played a key role in the history of Trentino and Central Europe. Furthermore, the family archives represent one of the most important and significant collections of documents in the whole region. The archives were kept in the castle until 1992, being open to consultation from the 19th century, thanks to the intelligence and generosity of the owners.

Source: www.buonconsiglio.it 

(Project, direction, music, texts: Francesco Pisanu; 3D videographics: Stefano Benedetti, Software and arrangement: Todovideo)


29/06/2016