Messner Mountain Museum Firmian

About the museum

Sigmundskron Castle (in Italian Castel Firmiano) stands on a porphyry cliff above the Adige valley, near Bolzano. It appears in the sources in 945 under the name Formicaria; in 1027 Emperor Conrad II gave it to the bishop of Trento. In the 12th and 13th centuries it was entrusted to families of ministeriales who took the name Firmian. Around 1473 Duke Sigismund of Tyrol bought it, gave it its present name and strengthened it with walls and corner towers suited to firearms; later the castle fell into decay and became a ruin.

In 1957 a large demonstration led by Silvius Magnago took place in front of the castle, with over 30,000 participants, demanding greater autonomy for South Tyrol; it is considered a symbolic moment in the history of South Tyrolean autonomy. In 1976 a family of innkeepers partly restored the ruin and opened a restaurant there; in 1996 the complex passed to the provincial administration.

In 2003 Reinhold Messner obtained the castle on concession to create a mountain museum there. The conversion was designed by the architect Werner Tscholl, and the Messner Mountain Museum Firmian was inaugurated on 9 June 2006 as the central museum of the network of six Messner Mountain Museums. The exhibition follows a route among historic walls, stairs and towers and tells the story of the relationship between man and the mountain: from the formation of rocks and mining to myths and religions, up to tourism and mountaineering.

Highlights

• Central museum of the Messner Mountain Museum network, founded in 2006
• Route among the ruins, stairs, towers and gardens of Sigmundskron Castle
• Themes: mountain and religion, art, mountaineering and tourism
• View of the Adige valley from the porphyry hill
• Site of the 1957 demonstration for autonomy
• Restaurant in the castle with hot dishes, snacks, coffee and cakes

Permanent exhibition

• Firmian: l'uomo e la montagna – A route among historic walls, stairs and towers on the relationship between man and the mountain, from the formation of rocks and mining to myths, religions, tourism and mountaineering, with architecture, art and nature.

Founded

2006

Operated by

Messner Mountain Museum

Admission & discounts

With the GEO-Card two tickets cost the price of one (valid for adults). The Südtirol Guest Pass is not valid and does not entitle to discounts. Free admission with a press card only upon request to the museum management. Tickets can be bought online. Gift vouchers for admissions are valid for two years.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The museum is only partly accessible by wheelchair: only a small part of the exhibition can be visited. The lift gives access only to the temporary exhibition. The route to the entrance climbs over an uneven natural stone surface, suitable only to a limited extent for wheelchair users or people with severe mobility limitations; towers and walls are reachable only by stairs. Only dogs accompanying blind or deaf visitors are admitted in the area.

Kids & families

A family ticket for two adults with children under 14 and a mini-family rate for one adult are planned. The routes go uphill, with stairs and uneven ground.

Getting there & parking

By car: A22 Brenner motorway towards Bolzano, exit Bolzano Sud, Bolzano–Merano expressway, exit Appiano towards Cornaiano. On foot it takes about 20 minutes from Sigmundskron along path no. 1; by bicycle about 25 minutes from Bolzano (cycle paths Merano–Bolzano–Ora–Appiano–Caldaro).

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant
• Lockers: not available

Restaurant in the castle with hot meals, small snacks, coffee and cakes. Lockers are available only at MMM Corones.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events
• Weddings / ceremonies

The castle can host weddings, corporate events, evening conferences and other parties in the historic setting; there are no standard offers, and each event is agreed with the events coordinator (tel. +39 0471 631 264).

Plan your visit