Culture tips in Caldaro

South Tyrolean wine museum, Castelchiaro, blue firtig and Mendola funicular

Caldaro enchants with several cultural highlights. The Castelchiaro ruin is situated high above Lago di Caldaro and visible from far and wide. The picturesque village centre is characterised by its Oltradige style, the restaurants and cafés at romantic market square invite you. In the centre you also find the South Tyrolean wine museum, the oldest museum of its kind in Italy. Don’t be surprised: The Caldaro winegrower is wearing a “firtig”. You will discover what that is during your holidays in Caldaro!

Mendola funicular

For over 100 years the Mendola funicular has taken Caldaro locals and visitors up to Mendola in only 12 minutes. At the time of its opening in 1903 the first electrically operated cable car in Tyrol was the steepest funicular railway and the longest cable car in Europe. The funicular conquers an altitude differential of 850 metres and a gradient of 64%. At the top visitors enjoy the fresh mountain air and a fascinating panoramic view!

kulturtipps-suedtiroler-weinmuseu-hermann-maria-gasser

South Tyrolean wine museum

The South Tyrolean wine museum in the former private winery Di Pauli in the centre of Caldaro is the oldest wine museum in Italy. It showcases grape presses, decorated wine barrels and a large assortment of equipment and containers. Visitors can also admire a deep cellar and a torggle room with groined vault from the 17th century.

Architecture: old & new

Caldaro benefits from many old wineries and buildings in Oltradige style. The heyday of this style was during the 16th century, when a certain level of Italian style became modern and when loggias, oriels, double arch windows and stone- and marble-framed windows and doors were fashionable. Today a fresh wind is blowing: for new buildings modern shapes and materials are preferred. Brochures assist with the discovery of the building styles.

Castelchiaro

The Castelchiaro ruin is situated on Monte di Mezzo above Lago di Caldaro. Built between 1200 and 1250 the main building consisted of a high oval wall and several residential buildings inside. There were two outer baileys. After 1610 the castle was no longer inhabited and fell into decay. Conservation works only started in the 20th century. Inside there are well preserved remnants of the old palace with frescoes dating back to the 15th century.

kulturtipps-blauer-firtig-sabine-jellasitz-jackson

Blue firtig

According to an old South Tyrolean saying “a man without an apron is only half dressed”. The farmer or winegrower wears a blue apron called firtig or fürchta. The apron was once protective clothing but was also used as a sack, a seed basket, a sweat cloth and hand towel. Behind the protective bib all kinds of documents were stored. Today farmers and winegrowers still wear a blue apron and so retain this part of Caldaro culture.