Badia Castle

Now a hotel, Badia Castle served as a convent and military hospital

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Badia Castle is not only an impressive castle, but also a hotel and a former convent.
Foto: BS, © Peer
The remains of the historic walls of this Medieval convent are still visible today.
Foto: BS, © Peer
View from the ancient castle walls to the meadows surrounding San Lorenzo di Sebato.
Foto: BS, © Peer
The walls are even more impressive if you consider that they were built by hand.
Foto: BS, © Peer
In 1785, however, Joseph II closed the convent.
Foto: BS, © Peer
The impressive Castel Badia is well-maintained.
Foto: BS, © Peer
A last view on the ancient walls.
Foto: BS, © Peer
Castelbadia is also a district of San Lorenzo di Sebato, home to the abbey.
Foto: BS, © Peer
Castel Glurnhör Hebenstreit is a stone’s throw from Castelbadia.
Foto: BS, © Peer

Badia Castle, also known as Sonnenburg, overlooks Castelbadia, a hamlet of the municipality of San Lorenzo di Sebato from a small hill. Today, only the ruins of its curtain wall are still visible, whereas almost nothing has left of the former convent.

This ancient monument was built with the aim to serve as a residence for the noble family Durn, but already around 1020 it became a renowned convent for noble women (Order of Saint Benedict). In 1785, emperor Joseph II closed the convent and transformed it into a military hospital.

Renovation works in the crypt of the convent church brought to light some interesting well-preserved medieval frescoes. The curtain wall with its loopholes and the medieval keep should not be missed. Castel Badia was then converted into a hotel. It is currently closed for extensive renovations, which aim to upgrade it into a luxury hotel while carefully preserving its historic fortress character.