Altaguardia Castle

The Altaguardia Castle owes its name to its strategic position on the west coast of "Monte Pin" from which it carried out a control function on the valley bottom. The few remaining ruins of the ancient fortress give the steep ridge on which the castle perches a magical and romantic aura at the same time. The medieval castle, the oldest evidence of which dates back to 1218, although its origins are lost in the 10th century, was built on the ruins of a prehistoric castle which later became probably a Roman watchtower. Initially owned by the Livo family, it soon passed into the hands of the Thun from whom, over the centuries, it was used more as a symbol of prestige than as a real residence. Struck by numerous fires and peasant revolts (to remember in particular the devastation of 1407), the castle was definitively abandoned starting from the eighteenth century, inexorably falling into decay. Before arriving at the castle, you can see Castel Basso, the ancient Thun farm, now renovated and home to a modern eco-sustainable training center.