Torre Druso - Gscheibter Turm

The Torre Druso stands in Bolzano, South Tyrol, among the ruins of Treuenstein Castle.

Its other recorded name is the Gscheibter Turm. Meinhard, Count of Tyrol, built Treuenstein in the late thirteenth century for Friedrich, a Bolzano burgher. The ruins stand beside the Fagen creek. The castle guarded the entrance to the Sarntal valley, near the old road leading towards San Genesio. Its surviving tower has a cylindrical, windowless form. The original entrance stood eight metres above ground, supporting the tower’s defensive role within the fortification. The tower itself rises twenty-six metres high. Its diameter measures about seven and a half metres, while sparse remnants mark the castle’s former double wall ring. The castle largely disappeared by the fifteenth century. Over the centuries, ownership changed before Cyriac Troyer von Giessbach acquired the ruins in the seventeenth century. Cyriac Troyer later renamed the estate Troyenstein. The tower and surrounding area are privately owned, while nearby paths offer visitors views of its exterior. The interior is not open to the public.