With the publication in 2011 of the bilingual volume by historian Jürg Rageth, La Bregaglia nella preistoria e agli albori della storia, the Centro Giacometti launched its series of publications devoted to the Giacometti family of artists and to the geographic, historical, social, and artistic context in which they lived and worked. This research and outreach work has continued over the years and will now lead to a new webpage dedicated to the history of the Bregaglia Valley, summarizing its key stages and placing them in their broader historical context.
Under the name Castelmur, the Centro Giacometti plans to create a chronological, contextualized catalog highlighting the key events and developments in the history of the Bregaglia Valley. These will be considered in relation to local events, developments in the cross-border region between Lombardy and Graubünden, and major events and historical developments in Europe. The project is intended for anyone interested in gaining an accessible overview of the valley’s history from a contemporary perspective. At the same time, it is expected to be of particular interest and value to schools in Bregaglia.
The project, being developed in collaboration with the University of Zurich, is currently in preparation. It is based on data, documents, and information that have been collected, analyzed, and further researched over a period of approximately fifteen years.
Stampa, September 2026, Marco Giacometti
The von Castelmur family was a noble family from the Grisons, originating in Bregaglia, whose roots date back to the 11th century. In 1190, Albertus de Castello Muro is recorded as the feudal lord of Castelmur Castle. As episcopal ministeriales, the von Castelmurs held numerous fiefs in Bregaglia and, for centuries, provided the valley with notaries, podestàs and political leaders. In the 14th and 15th centuries, they rose to become one of the leading aristocratic families of the League of God’s House. In the 16th century, their political influence in Bregaglia declined; some branches emigrated and settled, among other places, in Vienna, Marseille, Stampa and Tumegl/Tomils. Maria (1804-1882), the paternal grandmother of the painter Giovanni Giacometti, was a daughter of Alberto Castelmur (1756-1826), who had emigrated to France.
Castelmur is the name of a historic monument situated on the rocky spur above Promontogno in Bregaglia. It consists of castle ruins and various defensive structures dating from the High and Late Middle Ages, which formed a major barrier controlling the valley and its road, together with an old parish church. It also incorporated the Roman road station Murus.
Website of Palazzo Castelmur in Coltura, built by Giovanni de Castelmur (1800-1871) from 1840 onwards: www.palazzo-castelmur.ch
