Due to the German/Italian population of the South Tyrol, the castle is known by multiple names. Schloss Prosels is the German version, Castello di Presule is Italian. The Italians also call it Castel Colonna, reflecting the fact that around the time of Leonhard II, the Völs (Fiè) family started to add the Colonna family name to their own. The reason for this is unclear, although a number of hypotheses have been advanced. According to some the family originated as a branch of the Colonnas who came to Tyrol in the twelfth century; others believe that Leonhard II, fighting alongside Marcantonio Colonna (1535-1584) at the Battle of Lepanto, was affirming his family’s origins in the Colonnas of Tusculum. A third version speculates that Marcantonio adopted Leonhard in order to enable the latter to display his membership of the noble Roman dynasty. Most probably, perhaps, Leonhard II simply requested and obtained the right to add the name Colonna to his own.
The Castle was mentioned for the first time in a document dating back to the year 1279 as “Castrum Presila”. It is believed that the Lords of Völs/Fie, feudatories of the Bishopric of Brixen, had built the castle here by 1200. Today the central palace with a Romanesque archway is the surviving part of this first fortress. In the sixteenth century the Presule Castle was transformed into a more elegant and grand residence by the Count Leonhard von Vols. Leonhard of Völs was born in 1458. He was the administrator of the salt mines of Hall ( near Innsbruck ) and earned quite a lot of money during his time there.
Around 1525 there were peasants´uprisings throughout Tyrol. The farmers occupied the castle and burnt all documents, thus hoping to cancel all their debts. But after two days they were expelled by Leonhard's men and six of these rebellious farmers were sentenced to death.
Leonhard was also involved in the first witchcraft trials of Tyrol when nine women of the surroundings were convicted of witchcraft. At that time there was a high newborn mortality rate, because the farmers were poor and starving. They accused Leonhard of being responsible for this high mortality rate. So Leonhard found the nine women guilty of witchcraft and tortured them. They confessed that, they had stolen the babies and had ridden on their brooms to the Schlern - the highest mountain near Völs - where they had eaten the babies together with the devil. The origins of many legends about witches come from these stories. The Schlern witches ( Schlernhexen ) have even become symbols for this area and are being used as logos to promote tourism.
The castle belonged to the Lords of Völs until its last member, Felix, Freiherr von Völs, died childless in 1810. For the next 50 years the castle stood uninhabited and nearly fell into ruins. Between 1860 and 1978 the castle changed hands no fewer than 14 times, suffering periods of decay followed by attempted restoration before finally being abandoned to its fate. However, in 1981 the Kuratorium Schloss Prösels (Prösels Castle Curatorship) was formed to restore the castle with the financial help of the local government.In 1982 the castle was made open for public. Along with the guided tours offered, the castle is also the venue for concerts, exhibitions and theatre performances. You can also get married in the castle chapel and celebrate your wedding in the Medieval rooms. Also parts of the “Oswald von Wolkenstein horse tournament” take place in the castle. Every year this Mediaeval festival attracts a large number of visitors to Fiè allo Sciliar.
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