Castelbrando
Encyclopedia
Castel Brando is a medieval castle situated on a dolomite limestone
rock at an elevation of 370 m (1,213.9 ft) above sea level
, looking down on the villages of Cison di Valmarino
and Valmareno, Northern Italy
.
as a defensive fortress in order to protect the important lines of communication which connected Northern Italy
to the countries on the other side of the Alps
. Originally there was a garrison
here protecting the territory between the Piave and the Livenza rivers in order to facilitate the safe construction of the pre-alpine part of the Via Claudia Augusta
, an important Roman road, which linked the valley of the Po River with Rhaetia
(modern Austria). The original castrum
, dating from 46 AD is still visible today. A recent archaeological excavation has uncovered a 3 m (9.8 ft) diameter bread-oven within the castrum, dating from the same period. The original Roman baths
have also been excavated, as have the original pipes of the aqueduct
which supplied water from three nearby natural springs
. These springs still provide water for the castle today. During the European Migration Period
the fortress became an important defensive position against barbarian invasions. Over the centuries the castle has been subject to numerous enlargements and renovations. During the 13th century the castle was substantially enlarged while under the ownership of the Da Camino family
, who lived there from 1233 to 1335. Their architectural additions included surrounding the castle with imposing Guelph-Ghibelline
style battlements and building a central tower. Gherardo III da Camino
, the great Italian feudal lord and military leader was born in the castle in 1240.
The Castle's ownership then passed over to the Republic of Venice
, which awarded the Castle's fiefdom first to Marin Faliero and then to the condottieri
Giovanni Brandolino and Erasmo da Narni
, better known as "Gattamelata". After the fall of Venetian Republic in 1797, it was passed down through the family of Giovanni Brandolino and became the property of the Brandolini Counts. In the first half of the 16th century Antonio Maria Brandolini (1476–1522), commissioned skilled engineers to enlarge the central part of the castle in Sansovino style
, adding Venetian Gothic
double and triple mullion
ed windows. In 1700 the Brandolini family commissioned Ottavio Scotti, architect and Count of Treviso
, to design and build an extension to the southern part of the castle. Part of these works included the building of a castle chapel
, the Church of San Martino
. The chapel was decorated internally with fresco
es painted by Egidio Dall'Oglio (18th century).
During World War I
, the castle was invaded by Imperial Austrian forces
and used as a military hospital
. The Brandolini family abandoned their home and escaped to their Solighetto villa near Pieve di Soligo
. After 10 years of restoration work, financed by Count Girolamo IV Brandolini (1870–1935), the castle was re-opened as a place of residence in 1929. In 1959 the castle was sold by the Brandolini family to the Salesian fathers
, who altered its structure to use it as a monastery
and as a centre for spiritual studies
. In 1997 Castel Brando was purchased by Quaternary Investments SpA, who started an expansive renovation program in order to convert it into a hotel and museum.
. Visitors can get up to the castle by funicular railway
from the village
.
On 18–20 April 2009 Castel Brando hosted the first ever G8 Agriculture Ministers'
Meeting organised by the Italian Minister of Agriculture, Luca Zaia
.
Dolomite
Dolomite is a carbonate mineral composed of calcium magnesium carbonate CaMg2. The term is also used to describe the sedimentary carbonate rock dolostone....
rock at an elevation of 370 m (1,213.9 ft) above sea level
Above mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
, looking down on the villages of Cison di Valmarino
Cison di Valmarino
Cison di Valmarino is a village and comune with 2,553 inhabitants in the province of Treviso-Prehistory:There is evidence that the area has been inhabited since prehistoric times from archaeological discoveries in Follina from the Paleolithic Mesolithic eras, to roof tiles and other fragments from...
and Valmareno, Northern Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
History
Castel Brando was originally built in the Roman ageAncient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
as a defensive fortress in order to protect the important lines of communication which connected Northern Italy
Northern Italy
Northern Italy is a wide cultural, historical and geographical definition, without any administrative usage, used to indicate the northern part of the Italian state, also referred as Settentrione or Alta Italia...
to the countries on the other side of the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
. Originally there was a garrison
Garrison
Garrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....
here protecting the territory between the Piave and the Livenza rivers in order to facilitate the safe construction of the pre-alpine part of the Via Claudia Augusta
Via Claudia Augusta
The Via Claudia Augusta is an ancient Roman road, which linked the valley of the Po River with Rhaetia across the Alps. Since 2007, the Giontech Archeological Site, in Mezzocorona/Kronmetz serves as the Via Claudia Augusta International Research Center, directed by Prof...
, an important Roman road, which linked the valley of the Po River with Rhaetia
Raetia
Raetia was a province of the Roman Empire, named after the Rhaetian people. It was bounded on the west by the country of the Helvetii, on the east by Noricum, on the north by Vindelicia, on the west by Cisalpine Gaul and on south by Venetia et Histria...
(modern Austria). The original castrum
Castra
The Latin word castra, with its singular castrum, was used by the ancient Romans to mean buildings or plots of land reserved to or constructed for use as a military defensive position. The word appears in both Oscan and Umbrian as well as in Latin. It may have descended from Indo-European to Italic...
, dating from 46 AD is still visible today. A recent archaeological excavation has uncovered a 3 m (9.8 ft) diameter bread-oven within the castrum, dating from the same period. The original Roman baths
Thermae
In ancient Rome, thermae and balnea were facilities for bathing...
have also been excavated, as have the original pipes of the aqueduct
Aqueduct
An aqueduct is a water supply or navigable channel constructed to convey water. In modern engineering, the term is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose....
which supplied water from three nearby natural springs
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
. These springs still provide water for the castle today. During the European Migration Period
Migration Period
The Migration Period, also called the Barbarian Invasions , was a period of intensified human migration in Europe that occurred from c. 400 to 800 CE. This period marked the transition from Late Antiquity to the Early Middle Ages...
the fortress became an important defensive position against barbarian invasions. Over the centuries the castle has been subject to numerous enlargements and renovations. During the 13th century the castle was substantially enlarged while under the ownership of the Da Camino family
Da Camino
The da Camino were an Italian noble family whose fame is connected to the medieval history of the March of Treviso, a city of which they were lords for a while.-History:...
, who lived there from 1233 to 1335. Their architectural additions included surrounding the castle with imposing Guelph-Ghibelline
Guelphs and Ghibellines
The Guelphs and Ghibellines were factions supporting the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor, respectively, in central and northern Italy. During the 12th and 13th centuries, the split between these two parties was a particularly important aspect of the internal policy of the Italian city-states...
style battlements and building a central tower. Gherardo III da Camino
Gherardo III da Camino
Gherardo III da Camino was an Italian feudal lord and military leader. He is generally considered the most outstanding member in the da Camino family.-Biography:...
, the great Italian feudal lord and military leader was born in the castle in 1240.
The Castle's ownership then passed over to the Republic of Venice
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
, which awarded the Castle's fiefdom first to Marin Faliero and then to the condottieri
Condottieri
thumb|Depiction of [[Farinata degli Uberti]] by [[Andrea del Castagno]], showing a 15th century condottiero's typical attire.Condottieri were the mercenary soldier leaders of the professional, military free companies contracted by the Italian city-states and the Papacy, from the late Middle Ages...
Giovanni Brandolino and Erasmo da Narni
Erasmo of Narni
This article is about the condottieri Erasmo da Narni. For Donatello's equestrian statue, see Gattamelata Erasmo of Narni , better known as "Gattamelata" , was among the most famous of the condottieri or mercenaries in the Italian Renaissance...
, better known as "Gattamelata". After the fall of Venetian Republic in 1797, it was passed down through the family of Giovanni Brandolino and became the property of the Brandolini Counts. In the first half of the 16th century Antonio Maria Brandolini (1476–1522), commissioned skilled engineers to enlarge the central part of the castle in Sansovino style
Jacopo Sansovino
Jacopo d'Antonio Sansovino was an Italian sculptor and architect, known best for his works around the Piazza San Marco in Venice. Andrea Palladio, in the Preface to his Quattro Libri was of the opinion that Sansovino's Biblioteca Marciana was the best building erected since Antiquity...
, adding Venetian Gothic
Venetian Gothic architecture
Venetian Gothic is a term given to an architectural style combining use of the Gothic lancet arch with Byzantine and Moorish architecture influences. The style originated in 14th century Venice with the confluence of Byzantine styles from Constantinople, Arab influences from Moorish Spain and early...
double and triple mullion
Mullion
A mullion is a vertical structural element which divides adjacent window units. The primary purpose of the mullion is as a structural support to an arch or lintel above the window opening. Its secondary purpose may be as a rigid support to the glazing of the window...
ed windows. In 1700 the Brandolini family commissioned Ottavio Scotti, architect and Count of Treviso
Treviso
Treviso is a city and comune in Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Treviso and the municipality has 82,854 inhabitants : some 3,000 live within the Venetian walls or in the historical and monumental center, some 80,000 live in the urban center proper, while the city...
, to design and build an extension to the southern part of the castle. Part of these works included the building of a castle chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
, the Church of San Martino
Martin of Tours
Martin of Tours was a Bishop of Tours whose shrine became a famous stopping-point for pilgrims on the road to Santiago de Compostela. Around his name much legendary material accrued, and he has become one of the most familiar and recognizable Christian saints...
. The chapel was decorated internally with fresco
Fresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
es painted by Egidio Dall'Oglio (18th century).
During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the castle was invaded by Imperial Austrian forces
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
and used as a military hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
. The Brandolini family abandoned their home and escaped to their Solighetto villa near Pieve di Soligo
Pieve di Soligo
Pieve di Soligo is a town with a population of 12,096 inhabitants. It located at the northern province of Treviso, near the border with the province of Belluno in Veneto, Italy.-Notable people:...
. After 10 years of restoration work, financed by Count Girolamo IV Brandolini (1870–1935), the castle was re-opened as a place of residence in 1929. In 1959 the castle was sold by the Brandolini family to the Salesian fathers
Salesians of Don Bosco
The Salesians of Don Bosco is a Roman Catholic religious order founded in the late nineteenth century by Saint John Bosco in an attempt, through works of charity, to care for the young and poor children of the industrial revolution...
, who altered its structure to use it as a monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
and as a centre for spiritual studies
Spirituality
Spirituality can refer to an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.” Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop...
. In 1997 Castel Brando was purchased by Quaternary Investments SpA, who started an expansive renovation program in order to convert it into a hotel and museum.
Present day
Castel Brando has now been extensively restored and now houses a 4-star hotel, museum and a theatreTheatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
. Visitors can get up to the castle by funicular railway
Funicular
A funicular, also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope; the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalance each other.-Operation:The basic principle of funicular...
from the village
Cison di Valmarino
Cison di Valmarino is a village and comune with 2,553 inhabitants in the province of Treviso-Prehistory:There is evidence that the area has been inhabited since prehistoric times from archaeological discoveries in Follina from the Paleolithic Mesolithic eras, to roof tiles and other fragments from...
.
On 18–20 April 2009 Castel Brando hosted the first ever G8 Agriculture Ministers'
G8
The Group of Eight is a forum, created by France in 1975, for the governments of seven major economies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In 1997, the group added Russia, thus becoming the G8...
Meeting organised by the Italian Minister of Agriculture, Luca Zaia
Luca Zaia
Luca Zaia is an Italian Venetist politician, member of Liga Veneta–Lega Nord.Since March 2010 Zaia is President of Veneto...
.