Castel Juval stands on a prehistoric site on a hill in Val Venosta. The first documents reporting its existence date to 1278, when it belonged to Hugo von Montalban. From 1368 it belonged to the lords of Starkenberg. Numerous changes of ownership followed until the castle was abandoned during WWII.
In 1983 Reinhold Messner renovated the manor, maintaining the architectural characteristics of the three different construction phases and combining the medieval walls with modern elements and art collections. The last conservative intervention took place in the mid-1990s, when a gabled glass roof designed by the German architect Robert Danz was installed to protect the ruined north wing of the castle.
In addition to being the Messner family’s home, the castle is also home to one of six mountain museums. The Messner Mountain Museum Juval is dedicated to the "myth" of the mountain. Mountains are sacred to many peoples around the world: from Olympus to Ararat, from Sinai to Kailash, from Fujiama in Japan to Ayers Rock in Australia. The museum houses a collection of paintings of the great sacred mountains; a precious collection of Tibetan relics; masks from the five continents; the Tantra room and, in the basement, the equipment used by Reinhold Messner in his expeditions.
IDM Film Fund & Commission — Alto Adige
Via del Macello, 73 — 39100 Bolzano
Phone: +39 0471 094 294
Email: luisa.giuliani@idm-suedtirol.com
