11 May 2018 – RANDOM Times •

Grosio, the castles of Valtellina

11 May 2018 Pavel

The Castle Hill have a mix of the historical, archaeological, architectural and natural patrimony of various ages of the Valtellina. The hill is dominated by two castles. The “Castello Vecchio” (Old Castle) from the 10th-11th century and the “Castello Nuovo” (New Castle) which got constructed in the 14th century. Is interesting too, the traditional system of dry-stone terraces surrounding the hill, and unique is the “Rupe Magna”, a large rock which contains more than 5,000 engraved figures from the 4th to the 1st millennium BC. The “Castello Vecchio” (Old Castle)…

Villa Sgaravatti. Jacopo Dondi “Dell’orologio” was living here.

11 May 201812 Feb 2020 Pavel

Over the years, this villa was abode of to various astronomers and scientists, and here was living Jacopo Dondi too, a doctor, astronomer and clock-maker from Padua, Italy, remembered today as a pioneer in the art of clock design and construction. In fact, he is known because he built the astronomical clock overlooking on Piazza dei Signori in Padua (1344). I don’t know what is the probable date of construction of the villa, but was owned by the “Dondi dell’Orologio” and then by the Wollemborg (rich Paduan Jews of German…