The Dutch Conductor Willem Mengelberg in Zuort

19 October 2020

The village of Ramosch and the hamlets of Vnà, Zuort, Seraplana, Griosch and Raschvella in Lower Engadin (Unterengadin, canton of Graubünden) are situated amidst centuries-old terraces for arable farming (see also under nature).

The area has been inhabited since 4500 BC. The dry climate with the least rain in Switzerland and the fertile soil made arable farming possible. The medieval (reconstructed) terraces belong to Switzerland’s national cultural heritage.

Ramosch is located on the old transit route to Tyrol and Lake Constance and on the left bank of the Inn. The Tschanüff Castle (a new house in Romansh) shows the village’s strategic relevance. Count Meinhard of Tyrol (1238-1295) permitted the Lord of Ramosch to build the castle in 1256.

Ramosch

The castle was destroyed in 1475 by troops of Tyrol in the so-called Hennenkrieg. The castle was rebuilt to be destroyed again during the Bündner Wirren (1618-1639). The castle was abandoned in 1780, resulting in the present-day ruin.

The Romanesque predecessor of the St. Florian’s Church was destroyed in the Schwabenkrieg (Engadinerkrieg/Schweizerkrieg) in 1499 and rebuilt shortly afterwards by Bernhard von Puschlav, who was active in the region (among others in Scuol and Tschlin). Ramosch bought itself free in 1652, having already adopted the Protestant faith.

The church of Ramosch

A fire in 1880 destroyed most of the village. Italian craftsmen and architects rebuilt it, and the Italian style is a reminder. However, the villages of Vnà, Seraplana, Griosch, and Raschvella still show many beautiful Engadine farmhouses.

Foto: www.sent-online.ch

The villa Mengelberg and the chapel from 1920 in Zuort are reminders of the estate of the Dutch conductor Willem Mengelberg (1871-1951). He built the chapel in gratitude for Switzerland’s and the Netherlands’ neutrality in the First World War.

(Source: Ramosch | Engadin)

Ramosch

Impressions of Vna