Castello di Andraz … 3rd Try … Success

It was very pleasant on the balcony this morning. Of course, it was only 7:00a when I sat outside to read for a bit … and there was a corner still in the shade.

Why mention this? Because it meant that we got a late start on today’s outing, which took us practically all the way back to Colle Santa Lucia … or near enough.

You’ll recall that road construction foiled some of our plans last week — A and B as mentioned in previous posts. Well, today being Sunday, the road was open. Having confirmed this by calling ahead, this time we made it to the restored ruins of Castello di Andraz. Third time’s the charm, as they say. Mui took a different route on the way there, the all-new-to-us scenery made the drive all the more pleasurable.

Once we got to the turnoff for the castle, we decided to drive down as far as we could instead of parking at the top and hiking down. Remember, what goes down must eventually come up 😩.

We lucked out with a roadside parking spot not too far from the castle. Bonus! The admission ticket for the museum we visited in Selva di Cadore gave us a discount here, so we paid €10 for the two of us … saving €2. Double bonus!

The castle, which dates back to the 11th through 15th centuries, is situated at 5,670 feet (1,728m) asl … just below the Falzarego Pass in Livinallongo del Col di Lana. It was built atop an immense erratic boulder — which broke away from the Settsass Group during the Ice Age.

The purpose of this medieval stronghold was to control the routes that linked the territories of first Belluno and later the Venetian Republic. The decline in mineral and timber resources during the mid-18th century led to Andraz losing its importance. In the early 19th century, it was sold to a private owner who used materials from the castle for other construction projects. Eventually, the roof was dismantled and used as firewood … furthering the deterioration of the castle.

WWI saw Andraz being used as an Italian encampment, which led to its bombing by Austrian forces. During the post-war period, the ruins were used as a quarry for the reconstruction of a nearby village.

Purchased by the Veneto Region in 1985, the castle has been restored with modern additions … structural reinforcement, steel staircases and a glass roof amongst them. The latter not only protects the interior of the ruins from the elements, but also serves as a terrace from which visitors can enjoy the mountain and forest scenery.

There were more people visiting the castle than I expected. The good news, however, is that the large group that was inside was leaving as we arrived. We decided to head up to the top and make our way down.

On the top-most level, the walkway over the glass ceiling that protects the castle was open … even though the signs said that it was only accessible with a guide. We’re guessing that the guide for the group that had just departed forgot to lock the gate for the ladder-like stairs. We were quick to take advantage of the opportunity.

Frankly, there’s not much to see inside Castello di Andraz. Nonetheless, we wandered through each level, reading the signs identifying and describing each area. The signs also pointed out interesting features that one might otherwise miss … such as the medieval toilets, the sink in the kitchen, the remnants of the timbers to which prisoners were chained.

There were also a couple of display cases with artifacts found during the restoration, and a model of the castle. We also took time to watch the multimedia presentation … showing how the castle was built atop the erratic boulder and the changes it underwent through the ages.

An interesting visit that added variety to our activities in the Dolomiti.Read more