Castello di Botestagno, Medieval fortress in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.

Castello di Botestagno is a ruined fortress perched on a rock formation in the Boite River valley, overlooking three converging valleys north of Cortina d'Ampezzo. The structure shows weathered stone foundations and wall remains scattered across the terrain.

The first stone core of the fortress was probably built around 1100, perhaps by Patriarch Ulrich of Eppenstein, after Emperor Henry IV granted the whole area to the Patriarchate of Aquileia in 1077. The site is first mentioned in a document in 1175 as "locus qui dicitur Botestain in Cadubrio". In the 13th century, under the da Camino, Botestagno became the seat of a captaincy.

The name derives from the Germanic Boite-Stein, "rock on the Boite", after the river below. A Ladin legend collected by Giovanni Alton tells of Maria, called Sidonia, who lived in the castle and was courted by a Badia horseman nicknamed el Bracùn; warned riders weakened a bridge, but his horse leapt the gap.

The ruins are reachable via marked hiking trails from Cortina d'Ampezzo center through the Dolomiti d'Ampezzo Natural Park. The path climbs steeply and requires sturdy hiking boots and good physical fitness.

The fortress was a checkpoint on the ancient trade route between Venice and Innsbruck, protecting merchants and goods for centuries. This position at the crossroads made it one of the most important sites for regional business and strategic power.