Sta. Maria Castle
Tower and church of Sta. Maria Assunta
The tower of Sta. Maria in Calanca is on an elongated, sloping on all sides plateau above the church of Sta. Maria Assunta in the village of Santa Maria in Calanca in Calancatal in Switzerland.
Construction
The outside pentagonal residential tower with three floors has inside on a rectangular plan. The second and third floor contains one vaulted living room with a revolving stone bench and fireplace, their flues unite under the roof. Left and right of the fireplace is ever a sharp shaped window recess mounted. The floors are connected by in -built into the wall stairs. On the west side, a continuous shaft is abortion each with a sitting alcove per floor. Access to the tower took place over a high input on the west wall, which led directly to the second floor. The ground floor served as a cistern.
As a conclusion Erwin Poeschel suspected an open platform with battlements. 1932-1933 the tower statements have been greatly changed during restoration work. 1979 new safety works were made. Today the tower is completed by a platform with parapet wall.
History
About the construction of the tower are no documentary evidence. The construction of the vaults, fireplace installation, abortion and bay window shape allow dating to 1300. Certain is that the tower was built into an existing system, are visible from the still low wall tracks. It was probably built by a local noble family and consisted of an enclosure wall and a living area in the northern corner. In 1968, during excavations fragments of wall paintings and stove tiles dating from the 13th to the 15th century is gefunden.1203 mentioned a Ser Anricus de Calanca in the documents, but which can not be brought into relationship with the tower.
As a builder of the tower the Barons of Sax - Misox be presumed that successfully strove to 1300, a closed rule over the Misox while displaced local noble families. The strange design in the style of a French Donjons suggests that foreign experts were called in as a builder. 1291 and 1296 by Martin Sax is mentioned as Lord of the Calancatal, 1316 there are the brothers Martin and Heinrich von Sax
Is first mentioned in a document of the tower in the 15th century, when it was owned by the family branch of Sax - Grono. As 1480 Count Johann Peter von Sax sold the entire sovereign rights in Misox and Calancatal to the Condottiere Milan Gian Giacomo Trivulzio, on 20 November, the Santa Maria di Calanca castle was not mentioned. Presumably, they had already been abandoned by the mid-15th century.
Gallery
Fireplace
Door to the stairs