The Castle of Caldes

Caldes - Caldes is a town in Trentino Alto Adige, in the province of Trento, stands at 697 meters and has 1200 inhabitants. Jewel of Caldes is certainly the castle, ancient manor, rural fortress, noble house that was born in 1200. Surprising for its vastness, it preserves 800 years of history. The first certain news of the castle is in 1230 when Arnoldo da Cagnò obtains the concession to build this walled domus.

The Cagnò family stayed in the castle of Caldes until 1460, when it was succeeded by the noble Thun family who enlarged and embellished it in 1600, also building a chapel. The Thun remained until 1880; then the slow deterioration begins, between abandonments and sales to private individuals. The province finally recovered the ownership of the castle in 1980. The restoration works began in 2010 and lasted 4 years; the recovery was carried out in full respect of the original characteristics. The castle is the subject of a loving legend: Olinda, daughter of Rodemundo, owner of the castle, falls in love with the court minstrel Arunte; Olinda's father to avoid marriage locks his daughter in a prison room of the castle, where Olinda is killed. The grief-stricken father begins to wander the world in search of Arunte. The conclusion of the legend has it that the three protagonists are all buried under the castle.