Runkelstein Castle – Renon

Near Bolzano, in the municipality of Renon, Castel Roncolo stands on a rock overlooking the Talvera stream in the Val Sarentino area.
The architectural complex, which comprises the castle and a large adjacent courtyard, has conserved its Medieval character. It was built in 1237 by the brothers Friedrich and Beral von Wangen. It is known locally as “the illustrated castle” for its cycle of well preserved and extensive Medieval frescoes that include scenes of ladies, knights and naked men bathing, courtly scenes of hunting, fishing and dancing and episodes from the tragic love story of Tristan and Iseult.
Many inhabitants later, the castle was given to Emperor Franz Joseph in 1880 and then, in 1893, donated to the Municipality of Bolzano, the present owner. Restoration work carried out in 2000 left the original structure intact giving visitors the feeling of being plunged into the Middle Ages.