Canaschal Castle, Medieval castle ruin in Grisons, Switzerland.
Canaschal Castle is a medieval ruin in Grisons featuring a western tower that rises three stories with walls roughly 2.2 meters thick. The main tower measures approximately 7.6 by 8.2 meters, and a stone opening on the south side displays crafted details from its construction period.
The castle's builder is unknown; a 1945 local chronicle by Hans Erni first linked its founding to Pepin the Short around 714–718, a tradition repeated but unconfirmed. The western tower probably dates to the early 13th century, the eastern one to the 12th. In the 14th century the Wildenbergs pledged the lordship to the Rhäzüns, and in 1425 it passed to the Höwen. A fire on 2 July 1470, caused by negligence, burned out the castle, after which it was likely abandoned.
The name Canaschal is used inconsistently: the ruins were also called Hohentrins, and in the 16th century Ulrich Campell's chronicle listed two castles in Trin, Hohentrins and Pobiesch, probably Sogn Parcazi and Canaschal. Local tradition credits Pepin the Short, father of Charlemagne, with founding the castle, and a weathered face of a crowned king was once cut into a corner stone.
Visitors should follow marked hiking paths to reach the ruins, which are located at around 876 meters elevation in a mountain setting. The terrain is steep and uneven, so sturdy hiking boots and weather-appropriate clothing are recommended for a safe visit.
The two towers stand about 150 meters apart on the hill, the eastern one on the highest point and almost completely destroyed, the western one still three stories tall. A corner stone on the south-west was said to carry the chiselled face of a crowned king, taken to be Pepin the Short; weathering has made it invisible.
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