Castel Valer is situated near Tassullo in a panoramic position, encircled by hills, which are covered by orchards, and it excels for its faultless elegance.
The first document of castle dates back to 1211, when it was a property of the Counts Appiano and it was used as military guard post. It was sold to the Coredo’s and to Sporo’s in 1368, who are still the owners.
The tower is 40 metres high. It has an octagonal plan and it was built partially in imported granite. This structure shines for its majesty and peculiarity among the other towers in Trentino. The chapel of the castle is dedicated to Saint Valerio, and probably the name of the castle originates from the cult of this man, even if it is unlikely a roman derivation.
The most ancient part of the castle dates back to 14th century. The second part, which dates back to 16th century, is called Castel di sopra. The Chapel of Saint Valerio is situated in the northern part of the castle, between the main and the external curtain. It is entirely painted in fresco by the brothers Giovanni and Battista Baschenis, two travelling artists, who were natives of Bergamo. The frescoes have a good chromatic vividness and they represent Saint Valerio on the throne together with Saint Fabiano and Saint Sebastiano.
References:House of the Blackheads (Melngalvju nams) is a building situated in the old town of Riga. The original building was erected during the first third of the 14th century for the Brotherhood of Blackheads, a guild for unmarried German merchants in Riga. Major works were done in the years 1580 and 1886, adding most of the ornaments.
The structure was bombed to a ruin by the Germans June 28, 1941 and the remains demolished by the Soviets in 1948. The current reconstruction was erected from 1995 to 1999. Today the House of Blackheads serves as a museum and sometimes concert hall.