In addition to its unique location and its beautiful surroundings, also the popular legends about this castle make it one of the most visited sights of Trentino. 2000 years ago on the rocky spur – which was a small island until a few centuries ago because of the two metres higher level of the lake – “lived” the fairies to whom a little temple was dedicated in the 3rd century. This is “proved” by a plaque walled in the porch of the castle, described by the archeologist Paolo Orsi as “unique in its kind in the Roman epigraphic reality”. Soon the magical-religious function was replaced by the military-strategic function and in the place of the temple was built a fort, for whose possession the local lords had been fighting for many years. The castle that today can be visited and admired is the result of the rebuilding wanted by Bernardo Clesio in the 6th century, time in which it became a residence beloved by the prince-bishops of Trento and in particular by the Madruzzos. One of the darkest legends is about Carlo Emanuele Madruzzo, the last prince-bishop of the Madruzzo dynasty. Legend has it that the bishop had his niece Filiberta and his brother Vittorio poisoned and that the bishop’s mistress was Claudia Particella, from whom Carlo Emanuele had several children. God’s punishment for the bishop’s outrageous conduct was not long in coming: one night Claudia and her brother were crossing the lake by boat in order to get to the castle, when the boat turned over and the two died miserably. On full moon nights you can still see the restless spirits of the two drowned hovering over the waters of the small lake.
The castle currently houses a restaurant and is home to exhibitions and conferences on local products.