Prösels Castle.
Prösels Castle proudly stands facing the imposing
massif of the Schlern, across from the village Völs
am Schlern (Fiè allo Scilar). First mentioned
in the 13th cen., the fortress was the residence of
the Colonna family, ministerial lords of Völs,
and around 1517 it was rebuilt by them into a prestigious
castle complex with the most modern defense technology
of the period. Since 1981 it has been owned by the
'Kuratorium Schloß Prösels GmbH' (Prösels
Castle Curatorship Ltd.), which took care of the necessary
restoration work and gave the castle new life. In
addition to the tours, numerous cultural events are
held here during the summer months. Among the highlights
are the arms collection with material from the 19th
cen., including from the battlefields of Solferino
and Custozza, and the Batzenhäusl Collection,
with paintings and drawings from the 19th and 20th
cen., when the Batzenhäusl inn in Bolzano (Bozen)
was a favorite meeting place for artists and intellectuals.
