Castelmur Castle (Coltura)

Giovanni Castelmur was born in Marseille in 1800, where his family ran a patisserie. Even as a youth, Castelmur showed great interest in the valley of his ancestors. The long-established Castelmur family had been among the most politically and economically influential families in Bergell since the late Middle Ages. In the subsequent centuries, the Castelmur family was then surpassed by other families, such as the Salis.

Still very young and already very rich, Giovanni Castelmur returned to his home valley with the resolution to bring glory to the family name. He even boasted a baronial title and married Anna Castelmur from Vicosoprano, a first cousin. The marriage remained childless. Castelmur acquired the hill of Nosa Donna and, in Stampa / Coltura, the Redolfi patrician house built in 1723. He supplemented this with a tower-fortified facade, and in 1854, Castelmur Castle was completed. Commuting between Coltura and France, the Baron and Baroness primarily dedicated themselves to charity and supported numerous public buildings.

The interior of the palace is luxurious. The wood in the paneled rooms is lacquered or wallpapered; only one remains in its original state. The most important rooms in the new part of the house, such as the grand hall, the green room, and the red room, are decorated with magnificent murals and silk wallpapers. Particularly striking are some amusing trompe-l'œil paintings. The furnishings are in the style of the time, i.e., Louis Philippe and Empire. The couple afforded renowned artists and craftsmen, most of whom came from Lombardy. The most significant are the engineer and architect Giovanni Grassi Marliani and the painter Gaspare Tirinanzi.

Currently, historical research is underway with the aim of shedding light on the origin of Giovanni Castelmur's wealth and noble title in France. It will be interesting to learn how Castelmur made a fortune that allowed him to live as a rentier, realize a palazzo, and become known as a benefactor.

In 1961, the heirs sold the Castelmur complex to the Circolo di Bregaglia, which turned it into a museum.
On the second floor, a documentation center, the Archivio Storico, is housed. It collects and catalogs documents from private ownership that are relevant to the history of Bergell. The permanent exhibition on the Grisons confectioners can also be seen on the second floor.