In the beautiful Non Valley, nestled on top of a hill among the Alps, Castel Valer dominates the surrounding valley. The fortress dates back to the 13th century and has been owned by the noble Spaur family since 1368: the counts have masterfully restored the building over the last twenty years, preserving its medieval charm and creating something really unique, where one would think to have gone back to the Middle Ages.
The huge frescoed halls, the many bedrooms (fifteen in total) and the beautiful original finishes make the building a perfect investment opportunity if one is looking for a prestigious property that could be easily repurposed into a luxury private house or a spectacular location for events, conferences and ceremonies.
The town of Tassullo is just 1 km away from the castle and can be easily reached on foot: here once can find all the necessary services. Leaving Tassullo, there are many interesting cities in Trentino, both from a cultural and tourist perspective (Cles, Trento, Levico Terme, Meran, Moena, Ortisei, Bruneck, Canazei, Cortina d’Ampezzo…).
The closest airport is in Verona (133km; 1h 35’) but the terminals in Treviso, Bergamo, Venice, Milan and Trieste are equally convenient.

THE CASTLE AND ITS HISTORY
The castle is first mentioned in 1297, but its location guarding an old Roman road suggests that some sort of watchtower might have existed under the Empire. The construction of the original building must have been a titanic work: the castle is made up mostly of granite, a hard-to-find stone in the Non Valley. These rocks were probably quarried in the Adamello and brought to Caste Valer via the Tonale Pass (which also gave its name to a specific variety of granite, tonalite).

In the 13th century, the building was registered in the possession of the counts of Appiano, and they kept it until at least 1250 when it was finally conquered by Ulrich of Coredo on account of Mainard II of Tyrol who was trying to unify the region under a single banner.
In the 14th century (1368) the castle was bought by the Spaur family, allied of the Counts of Tyrol, and nowadays, seven hundred years later, they still own the property. The castle bought by the Spaurs was just a low-profile keep (what’s now known as Castello di sotto or Untervaler, meaning ‘lower castle’ or ‘lower Valer’). It was only in the 16th century that the Spaurs enlarged the building by adding a new wing on the high part of the hill (known as Castello di sopra or Obervaler, meaning ‘upper castle’ or ‘upper Valer’). A few final works were carried out in the 17th century.

The castle (5,500 sqm – 59,180 sqft, 15 bedrooms and 14 bathrooms) has been finely restored over the last twenty years and is in excellent condition, with period furniture and high-quality original finishes. Where needed, roof tiles have been replaced with handmade pieces and all the systems have been replaced and/or updated. Some parts of the building, in particular, are of notable historic, artistic and cultural value.

The entrance to the castle is through a stone bridge crossing the moat. Once crossed the walls, moving inside the castle recalls a medieval town, with narrow paved alleys winding through the buildings. Not far from the entrance gate there is a beautiful courtyard, built in 1540. Here one can admire several beautifully decorated windows, work of Marcello Fogolino.

From the courtyard, descending a characteristic stone staircase, one can reach the underground cellar dating back to the 15th century. Here there were once several rooms including the armory of the castle, a grain mill, looms and an olive mill. As a storage area, these rooms also allowed to store wine and oil.

At the center of the castle is the imposing tower, over 130-ft tall and with a characteristic octagonal plan, unique in Trentino. The castle revolves around the towers, keeping its octagonal shape and following the slope of the hill.

In the corner of the castle, leaning against the outside walls, there is the beautiful Chapel of St. Valerius, dedicated to the homonym saint who also gave his name to the castle. In 1473, count Rodolfo Spaur tasked the brothers Giovanni and Battista Baschenis with the embellishment of the chapel. With many funds available, the two painters could achieve a notable result by using rare materials such as azurite and malachite, enriching the whole painting with gold leaf. Since the Spaur never lost control of the church, the paintings have survived and are pretty much untouched to this day, offering one of the finest examples of painting in the Non-Valley. This is much more impressive considering that, over the 17th century, many of the works by the Baschenis brothers were covered up and/or demolished.

Entering the castle itself, the first and most impressive of the rooms is the Hall of the Crests, dating back to the 15th century. This hall showcases the coats of arms of all those families that over the centuries married into the Spaurs.
Through the hall one exits onto a suggestive 16th-century loggia, featuring 18 arches supported by white-and-red limestone columns. From the loggia, one can enjoy a breathtaking view over the Non Valley, with the Santa Giustina dam visible in the distance.
Right next to the loggia, a series of rooms overlook the underlying courtyard. These halls, all covered in beautiful wooden panels were once used by the Spaurs as an office. Here one can admire beautiful original furniture and a parchment representing the family tree of Spaurs since their first members.
Still on the first floor there is the beautiful and unique Gothic kitchen, preserved almost intact in its medieval shape. The huge cowl still bears traces of its use while in the corner of the room there is a functional old drain.

Last but not least, on the second floor there is a section of the castle made up of several bedrooms known as the Madruzzo Halls. The name comes from Cardinal Cristoforo Madruzzo, who resided here in the many pauses during the Trent Council. A sister of the cardinal later married Ulrich Spaur, binding the two families. The beautiful frescoes in the halls were commissioned to painter Marcello Fogolino.

The remaining halls of the castle, all restored and preserved in their original look wherever possible, include several reception halls, frescoed hallways, fifteen bedrooms and fourteen bathrooms. On the ground floor there is also a cozy relax area with a small wellness center equipped with sauna and showers. A small wind of the castle (still on the ground floor) is by all means an independent unit and could be easily used as a keeper’s apartment (100 sqm) made up of living room, kitchen, two bedrooms and two bathrooms.

Outside the walls there are two huge rural outbuildings (880 sqm – 9,465 sqft) used in the past as barns and agricultural facilities. A convenient garage is located inside one of the buildings.

EXTERIORS
The garden of the castle (1,610 sqm) is located towards the southern side of the castle, laid over three terraces, and from here one can enjoy a beautiful view of the imposing Castle Thun. These gardens are planted with beautiful flowers and the walls of the castle are covered in Virginia creepers that during summer “paint” the castle red, making it visible and recognizable from afar.

The castle is then completed by 7.5 hectares (18.5 acres) of land, covered for the most part in woodland (5.3 ha) and located right below the hill, to the south of the castle.

USE AND POTENTIAL USES
The building was entirely restored to preserve its outstanding charm: it is, indeed, the best-preserved castle of Trentino, followed closely by Castel Nanno, Castel Coredo, Castel Belasi and Castel Thun.
The beautiful reception halls, finely decorated and frescoed, are perfect for events and conferences, while the residential areas could be easily reworked into a luxury boutique hotel in one of the most beautiful areas of Italy.