Tiefencastel

Tiefencastel

Deep Castel, ( Grison German [ tyfɐk ( h) aʃtɐ ], Romansh: Casti [ kɐʃti ] ) is a municipality in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland. It is the main town of the district and the district of Albula Alvaschein.

Coat of arms

Blazon: Argent (white) under a blue rafters a two-towered red castle with battlements and gate

The coat of arms shows the gerückten into the lower portion of the shield medieval castle that once was located on the present-day church hill Suloms, the name of the community. In the confluence of the Albula (right) and Julia (left) is presented in the form of a blue chevron. The colors are those of the Lords of Vaz.

Geography

Tiefencastel lies in the Albula valley at the foot of the Alpine passes Albula and Julier in a valley at an altitude of 851 m above sea level. M. (Albula bridge). The lowest point of the municipality lies with the influence of Niselas dam, 825 meters, the highest elevation of 200 meters northwest of the Piz Mitgel to nearly 3,100 m. In Tiefencastel the river Julia in the Albula opens.

According to the cantonal land use statistics from the year 1997, the municipal area is made up of: 302 hectares (20%) of agricultural land, 736 hectares (50%) forest, 46 hectares (3%) settlement area and 401 hectares (27%) non-productive area. Agricultural land can be divided into 116 acres of meadow and arable land and 186 hectares of Alpine grazing land.

The village is located on the Albula line of the Rhaetian Railway. The low Castel station is also a feeder for the Above stone.

Neighboring communities of Tiefencastel are Alvaschein, Stierva, Mon, Riom- Parsonz, Cunter, Savognin, Filisur, Alvaneu, Surava and Brienz / Brinzauls.

Population

Originally, the entire population spoke the Romance dialect Surmiran. Even in 1880 there were 89% and 80% in 1910. Since the interwar period, the proportion fell to 53% in 1970. Nowadays German and Romansh are the official languages.

80 % of the population professes the Roman Catholic and 13% Protestant Reformed Church ( 2000 census ). 86 % of the population are Swiss citizens. (December 2005)

Tourism

From time immemorial is low Castel, due to its geographical location, a popular stage stop for the riders pass. In the junction of the two passes is a renowned gastronomy has developed. Tiefencastel is increasingly being used as a holiday destination for families and lots of sport. In the near Alvaneu to a health spa and an alpine golf course ( 18 holes). The ski resorts of Lenzerheide, Savognin and Davos are easily accessible from Tiefencastel from.

Attractions

• From world-class Carolingian church of St. Peter Mistail ( built about 806 ) is 1.5 kilometers northwest of Tiefencastel valid on the territory of the municipality Alvaschein.
• Catholic Church of St. Stephen
• Another attraction is the Albula line of the Rhaetian Railway, which can be visited on a well marked track trail on foot on their most interesting part. This railway line is one of Europe's largest engineering feats with its countless bridges, loop and spiral tunnels. In July 2008, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee has decided to take the Albula and Bernina railway line in the list of world cultural heritage.

Tiefencastel also offers many other attractive hiking opportunities ( eg in Val Tuors or into Oberhalbstein). Above Salouf, not far from Castel deep, lies the Sanctuary Ziteil. With an altitude of 2'429 m above sea level. M. Ziteil is the highest shrine of the Eastern Alps ( cf. Rocciamelone ).

History

In the year 831 Tiefencastel was first mentioned as a villa in Castello Impitinis with the seat of the royal administrator. The name is likely a coincidence of Latin Imus, bottom, lowest, deepest ' and appearing in several Grisons field names pre-Roman word * Pitino, castle, Wehranlag ' go back, illustrated by Latin castellum, castle, fortress ' that the name later replaced and thus led to the Roman form of the name Casti. By 1300, the designation as imum Castellum * occupied ( 1297 Petro de Castello Imo; 1311 tres de Ymocastello ... in Ymo Castello), after which probably the German name was formed ( 1357 Tieffenchastl; similar to box 1389 to the Tieffenchasten 1499 Túffenkasten which lives on in the German dialect form).

On the hill Plattas was a Bronze Age settlement and on the church hill the Roman fort. Archaeological discoveries confirm the pre-Christian settlement. In the early Middle Ages Tiefencastel was a fortified settlement. In the Middle Ages the town possessed even a toll bridge. From 960 Tiefencastel was episcopal dominion and thus went as a fief to the Vazer and other local vassals. After the mid-16th century the court Tiefencastel was with the neighborhoods and Mon Alvaschein part of the high court Above stone in Gotteshausbund.

At today's shrine on the Julierstrasse above the village stood in the 6/7 Century built chapel of St. Ambrose (Romansh Sontg Ambriesch ). This served for centuries as a parish church of Castel low, partly Alvaschein. 1343 the present church of St. Stefan first " super colle sancti Stephani " was mentioned. She has St. Ambrose displaced as the official parish church. From 1635 took over the pastoral care of Italian Capuchin Tiefencastel. The hospice was the starting point for the Counter-Reformation in Central Grisons. The 1650-1663 St. Stephen Church was built by the Capuchins and equipped with major carvings and paintings. The church has been preserved in this form until today.

On May 11, 1890 a major fire destroyed large parts of the village. 24 houses, 34 barns and parts of the church and the bell tower were affected. Traffic Technically Tiefencastel 've always had a great significance, because the place is on the transit route through the Septimer and Julier Pass. The Septimerpass to Chiavenna was for centuries the main traffic route across the Alps. After removing the passing lanes a horse-post station was set up in 1835 in Castel depth. From the year 1898, the Rhaetian Railway network was developed. 1903 line Chur- St.Moritz was opened. The low Castel station brought the place renewed upswing. A village bypass in 1999 brought relief to the suffering under enormous transit village.

Economy

The original agricultural community in 1850 brought first hotel buildings mainly passers harbored additional merit. By 1950, low- Castel was the most important Viehmarktort the region. The village now has primarily small businesses and service providers. In 1949, the electricity plant in the city of Zurich took ( EWZ ), the power plant deep Castel- West (Level Burvagn low Castel ) and 1971, the power plant deep Castel- East (Level Marmorera Tinizong low Castel ) in operation. In 1990, the Albula country hydropower plants ( ALK ) opened the Central Filisur low Castel.

Of the 223 employees 5 % in agriculture and forestry. 35 % work in the industrial and manufacturing sector and 60 % in service companies. (December 2005)

Swiss Irontrail

Tiefencastel transit point of the mountain run Swiss Irontrail.