Surcasti

En un regard

Le château en bref

Surcasti Castle (Obercastels, or Übercastel) stood on a rocky spur above the confluence of the Glogn (Glenner) and the Valserrhein, in the Lumnezia (Graubünden), at an elevation of about 925 m. It belonged to the lords of Übercastel, a family of episcopal ministerials originating from the Lumnezia. The site was frequented from prehistoric times and in the Roman period, but no fortification predating the 12th century has been proven. Only the 12th-century keep remains of the castle, dated by dendrochronology to 1170: a massive structure of about 9 x 8.6 m, with walls 2.2 m thick and 15 m high, and a raised entrance with a round arch. The church of Sogn Luregn (Saint Lawrence), mentioned as early as 1345, stands on the castle hill; the present building, in the late Gothic style, dates from 1515–1520, and the tower has since served as its bell tower. Excavations took place in 1945 and 1963. The whole, visible from afar, is a popular walking destination in the Lumnezia.