Burg Marmels
Encyclopedia
Marmels Castle is a ruined castle in the municipality
of Marmorera
in the district of Albula
in the canton
of Graubünden
in Switzerland
.
that formed the Lai da Marmorera
near the municipality of Marmorera
. The entrance to the ruins is along a path that starts near the dam and then climbs steeply through the woods. The path may require an experienced climber and in wet weather may be inaccessible.
which follow the edge of the cliff. Additionally, traces of an overhanging platform and the outer gatehouse
can still be seen. The three-story, square keep
is located on the southern terrace and rested against the surrounding rock, as can be seen in the sketch from 1893. Only the foundation of the towers of the keep are still visible. The keep had a door and half-round tower on the ground floor as well as another entrance on the next level. These entrances are no longer visible in the foundation. The type and shape of the roof is not known. In the southern wall there was a door that led to a fourth story arbor
.
A steep path along the rear wall of the grotto
leads to the upper level of the castle site. It is clear that there were additional buildings, however, the exact nature or size is not known.
The two story chapel
is still standing. The lighter plaster that it was covered with, makes it stand out against the rock wall. The half-round apse
is built into the eastern wall. The plaster is still in good condition. Both levels of the chapel can be reached from the west side.
It is unclear how the inhabitants of the castle would have provided drinking water, as there is no well in the castle site.
On a small plateau, north of the chapel, are the ruins of a later building. This structure might have served as housing for the priest.
On a small outcrop below the castle, the ruins of a small building have been discovered. This building, located between the castle and the village, may have been a small trading post which allowed local farmers to sell food to the inhabitants of the castle.
by the end of the Carolingian
era (9th Century) and remained in use until the early 12th Century. Based on the construction of the chapel, the foundation of the castle was likely about 1100.
The knights of Marmels were first mentioned as ministerialis
, or unfree knights, in the service of the Freiherr
en (or Baron) of Tarasp
in 1160. Andreas von Tarasp granted Andreas von Marmels, who already held a fiefdom
over half of Tarasp Castle, a position as a ministerialis to the Bishop of Chur
. In service to the Bishop, the family was able to expand their land and power. They grew to be one of the foremost minor noble families in Rätien. In addition to their castle at Marmels, they held Burg Spliatsch as a Vögte
(or reeve) and the village of Riom
. Burg Marmels was first mentioned in 1193 when Andreas von Marmels (or his son with the same name) captured the Cardinal Legate Cintius for the Emperor
and held him at the castle.
The most important member of the line was Conradin von Marmels († 1517/18) who held titles to Haldenstein
and Rhäzüns
. During the Swabian War
of 1499, he commanded the troops of the Three Leagues
against the Habsburg
s. However, due to his pro-Habsburg stance he was quickly overthrown and imprisoned. His oldest son, Johannes inherited Rhäzüns and later Neu-Aspermont Castle. His younger son, Rudolf, received Burg Haldenstein, was mayor
of Chur
and later the primary Landeshauptmann
in Veltlin.
The castle remained in the possession of the family von Marmels throughout its history, which is quite unusual. The last mention of the castle is in 1550. Conradin's son Rudolf sold the castle, along with the tower of Tinizong and the Burg Spliatsch to his nephew Hans. Hans promptly went in arrears
on the debt that he ran up to purchase the castle, and Rudolf bought the castle back from him. At that time the castle was in livable condition. By the 16th Century it was abandoned and in the early 17th Century it had fallen into ruin.
Unlike most Rätien nobles, the House of Marmels did not die out. The descendents of the von Marmels now have the last name of Demarmels.
Municipalities of Switzerland
Communes , also known as municipalities, are the smallest government division in Switzerland, numbering 2,596 . While many have a population of a few hundred citizens, the largest cities such as Zürich or Geneva also have the legal status of municipalities...
of Marmorera
Marmorera
Marmorera is a municipality in the district of Albula in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland.Until the end of the 19th century, its population was almost exclusively Romansh-speaking...
in the district of Albula
Albula (district)
Albula District is one of the eleven administrative districts in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland. It has an area of 723.13 km² and has a population of ....
in the canton
Cantons of Switzerland
The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...
of Graubünden
Graubünden
Graubünden or Grisons is the largest and easternmost canton of Switzerland. The canton shares borders with the cantons of Ticino, Uri, Glarus and St. Gallen and international borders with Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein...
in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
Location
The ruins of the Grottenburg (a castle built into a naturally occurring cave) Marmels are located on two rocky points high above the embankment damEmbankment dam
An embankment dam is a massive artificial water barrier. It is typically created by the emplacement and compaction of a complex semi-plastic mound of various compositions of soil, sand, clay and/or rock. It has a semi-permanent waterproof natural covering for its surface, and a dense, waterproof...
that formed the Lai da Marmorera
Lai da Marmorera
Lai da Marmorera is a reservoir in the Grisons, Switzerland. It is part of the Parc Ela nature park.The lake with a surface area of 1.41 km² formed after the completion of the Marmorera dam in 1954 when the old village of Marmorera was flooded. The village was rebuilt above the lake.The lake is...
near the municipality of Marmorera
Marmorera
Marmorera is a municipality in the district of Albula in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland.Until the end of the 19th century, its population was almost exclusively Romansh-speaking...
. The entrance to the ruins is along a path that starts near the dam and then climbs steeply through the woods. The path may require an experienced climber and in wet weather may be inaccessible.
The castle site
On the lowest level, there are portions of two sections of the curtain wallCurtain wall (fortification)
A curtain wall is a defensive wall between two bastions of a castle or fortress.In earlier designs of castle the curtain walls were often built to a considerable height and were fronted by a ditch or moat to make assault difficult....
which follow the edge of the cliff. Additionally, traces of an overhanging platform and the outer gatehouse
Gatehouse
A gatehouse, in architectural terminology, is a building enclosing or accompanying a gateway for a castle, manor house, fort, town or similar buildings of importance.-History:...
can still be seen. The three-story, square keep
Keep
A keep is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word keep, but usually consider it to refer to large towers in castles that were fortified residences, used as a refuge of last resort should the rest of the...
is located on the southern terrace and rested against the surrounding rock, as can be seen in the sketch from 1893. Only the foundation of the towers of the keep are still visible. The keep had a door and half-round tower on the ground floor as well as another entrance on the next level. These entrances are no longer visible in the foundation. The type and shape of the roof is not known. In the southern wall there was a door that led to a fourth story arbor
Pergola
A pergola, arbor or arbour is a garden feature forming a shaded walkway, passageway or sitting area of vertical posts or pillars that usually support cross-beams and a sturdy open lattice, often upon which woody vines are trained...
.
A steep path along the rear wall of the grotto
Grotto
A grotto is any type of natural or artificial cave that is associated with modern, historic or prehistoric use by humans. When it is not an artificial garden feature, a grotto is often a small cave near water and often flooded or liable to flood at high tide...
leads to the upper level of the castle site. It is clear that there were additional buildings, however, the exact nature or size is not known.
The two story chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
is still standing. The lighter plaster that it was covered with, makes it stand out against the rock wall. The half-round apse
Apse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
is built into the eastern wall. The plaster is still in good condition. Both levels of the chapel can be reached from the west side.
It is unclear how the inhabitants of the castle would have provided drinking water, as there is no well in the castle site.
On a small plateau, north of the chapel, are the ruins of a later building. This structure might have served as housing for the priest.
On a small outcrop below the castle, the ruins of a small building have been discovered. This building, located between the castle and the village, may have been a small trading post which allowed local farmers to sell food to the inhabitants of the castle.
History
It is unknown exactly when the castle was built. The design of the chapel entered RätienRaetia
Raetia was a province of the Roman Empire, named after the Rhaetian people. It was bounded on the west by the country of the Helvetii, on the east by Noricum, on the north by Vindelicia, on the west by Cisalpine Gaul and on south by Venetia et Histria...
by the end of the Carolingian
Carolingian Empire
Carolingian Empire is a historiographical term which has been used to refer to the realm of the Franks under the Carolingian dynasty in the Early Middle Ages. This dynasty is seen as the founders of France and Germany, and its beginning date is based on the crowning of Charlemagne, or Charles the...
era (9th Century) and remained in use until the early 12th Century. Based on the construction of the chapel, the foundation of the castle was likely about 1100.
The knights of Marmels were first mentioned as ministerialis
Ministerialis
Ministerialis ; a post-classical Latin word, used in English, meaning originally servitor, agent, in a broad range of senses...
, or unfree knights, in the service of the Freiherr
Freiherr
The German titles Freiherr and Freifrau and Freiin are titles of nobility, used preceding a person's given name or, after 1919, before the surname...
en (or Baron) of Tarasp
Tarasp Castle
Tarasp Castle is a castle located in Switzerland, near Tarasp, in Lower Engadin, Graubünden. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance.-External links:* * *...
in 1160. Andreas von Tarasp granted Andreas von Marmels, who already held a fiefdom
Fiefdom
A fee was the central element of feudalism and consisted of heritable lands granted under one of several varieties of feudal tenure by an overlord to a vassal who held it in fealty in return for a form of feudal allegiance and service, usually given by the...
over half of Tarasp Castle, a position as a ministerialis to the Bishop of Chur
Bishop of Chur
The Bishop of Chur is the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Chur, Grisons, Switzerland .-History:...
. In service to the Bishop, the family was able to expand their land and power. They grew to be one of the foremost minor noble families in Rätien. In addition to their castle at Marmels, they held Burg Spliatsch as a Vögte
Vogt
A Vogt ; plural Vögte; Dutch voogd; Danish foged; ; ultimately from Latin [ad]vocatus) in the Holy Roman Empire was the German title of a reeve or advocate, an overlord exerting guardianship or military protection as well as secular justice...
(or reeve) and the village of Riom
Riom-Parsonz
Riom-Parsonz is a municipality in the district of Albula in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland. It was created from the 1979 union of the municipalities of Parsonz and Riom.-History:...
. Burg Marmels was first mentioned in 1193 when Andreas von Marmels (or his son with the same name) captured the Cardinal Legate Cintius for the Emperor
Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry VI was King of Germany from 1190 to 1197, Holy Roman Emperor from 1191 to 1197 and King of Sicily from 1194 to 1197.-Early years:Born in Nijmegen,...
and held him at the castle.
The most important member of the line was Conradin von Marmels († 1517/18) who held titles to Haldenstein
Haldenstein
Haldenstein is a municipality in the district of Landquart in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.-History:Haldenstein is first mentioned in 1149 as Lanze. In 1370 it was mentioned as Lentz inferior.-Geography:...
and Rhäzüns
Rhäzüns
Rhäzüns is a municipality in the district of Imboden in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.-Geography:Rhäzüns has an area, , of . Of this area, 23.3% is used for agricultural purposes, while 69.1% is forested...
. During the Swabian War
Swabian War
The Swabian War of 1499 was the last major armed conflict between the Old Swiss Confederacy and the House of Habsburg...
of 1499, he commanded the troops of the Three Leagues
Three Leagues
The Three Leagues was the alliance of 1471 of the League of God's House, the League of the Ten Jurisdictions and the Grey League, leading eventually to the formation of the Swiss canton of Graubünden. Most of the lands of Graubünden were part of the Roman province Raetia in 15 BC...
against the Habsburg
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...
s. However, due to his pro-Habsburg stance he was quickly overthrown and imprisoned. His oldest son, Johannes inherited Rhäzüns and later Neu-Aspermont Castle. His younger son, Rudolf, received Burg Haldenstein, was mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Chur
Chur
Chur or Coire is the capital of the Swiss canton of Graubünden and lies in the northern part of the canton.-History:The name "chur" derives perhaps from the Celtic kora or koria, meaning "tribe", or from the Latin curia....
and later the primary Landeshauptmann
Landeshauptmann
Landeshauptmann is a former German gubernatorial title equivalent to that of a governor of a province or a state....
in Veltlin.
The castle remained in the possession of the family von Marmels throughout its history, which is quite unusual. The last mention of the castle is in 1550. Conradin's son Rudolf sold the castle, along with the tower of Tinizong and the Burg Spliatsch to his nephew Hans. Hans promptly went in arrears
Arrears
Arrears is a legal term for the part of a debt that is overdue after missing one or more required payments. The amount of the arrears is the amount accrued from the date on which the first missed payment was due...
on the debt that he ran up to purchase the castle, and Rudolf bought the castle back from him. At that time the castle was in livable condition. By the 16th Century it was abandoned and in the early 17th Century it had fallen into ruin.
Unlike most Rätien nobles, the House of Marmels did not die out. The descendents of the von Marmels now have the last name of Demarmels.