Serviezel Castle is a pair of ruined
castle
A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...
s in the
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality' ...
of
Valsot
Valsot is a municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the Engiadina Bassa/Val Müstair Region in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Graubünden in the extreme east of Switzerland. On 1 January 2013 the municipalities of Ramosch and Tschlin ...
of the
Canton of Graubünden
The Grisons (; ) or Graubünden (),Names include:
* ;
* Romansh:
**
**
**
**
**
**;
* ;
* ;
* .
See also other names. more formally the Canton of the Grisons or the Canton of Graubünden, is one of the twenty-six cantons of Switzerland. I ...
in
Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
. Very little is known about either castle and they were probably both built in the 12th century for the Lords of Ramosch. Serviezel (Ramosch) is located in the former municipality of
Ramosch
Ramosch is a former municipality in the district of Inn in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. On 1 January 2013 the municipalities of Ramosch and Tschlin merged to form the new municipality of Valsot.[Tschlin
Tschlin is a former municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the district of Inn District, Switzerland, Inn in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Graubünden in the extreme east of Switzerland. On 1 January 2013 the municipalities of Ramo ...]
.
History
Very little is known about either castle since neither is mentioned in any surviving medieval documents. Serviezel is probably named after the Wezzels, a local minor nobility family, who are first mentioned around 1150. They were probably
vassal
A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerain ...
s or a cadet line of the lords of
Ramosch
Ramosch is a former municipality in the district of Inn in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. On 1 January 2013 the municipalities of Ramosch and Tschlin merged to form the new municipality of Valsot.[Tschanüff Castle
Tschanüff Castle is a ruined castle in the former Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality of Ramosch (now Valsot) of the Canton of Graubünden in Switzerland. It is a Swiss Swiss inventory of cultural property of national and regional signif ...]
.
Castle site
Ramosch
The castle was a single rectangular tower probably with a full or partial
ring wall
A curtain wall is a defensive wall between fortified towers or bastions of a castle, fortress, or town.
Ancient fortifications
Evidence for curtain walls or a series of walls surrounding a town or fortress can be found in the historical source ...
on top of a small hill. The ruins are in poor condition and generally over grown. The tower is about with wall thicknesses of between . The south wall is about the most visible and is about high. West of the tower there is a pile of stone which probably marks the location of a collapsed wall or outbuilding.
[
]
Tschlin
This tower was built on a large ( hilltop above a trade road through the valley. The walls are thick. The tower was probably encircled by a ring wall
A curtain wall is a defensive wall between fortified towers or bastions of a castle, fortress, or town.
Ancient fortifications
Evidence for curtain walls or a series of walls surrounding a town or fortress can be found in the historical source ...
of which an thick and long section is still visible.
Gallery
File:Serviezel Burghügel.jpg, Castle hill
File:Serviezel Ecke.jpg, North wall
File:Serviezel Mauerrabbruch.jpg, Cross section of the north wall
File:Serviezel Nordecke.jpg, North corner of the tower
See also
* List of castles in Switzerland
This list includes castles and fortresses in Switzerland.
Entries list the name and location of the castle, fortress or ruins in each Canton in Switzerland.
Aargau
Appenzell Ausserrhoden
Appenzell Innerrhoden
Basel-Landschaft, Bas ...
References
Castles in Graubünden
Ruined castles in Switzerland
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