The Baroness of the Fai Castle

The history behind the Fai castle on the Paganella plateau is truly fascinating. It was built as a hunting lodge for the Spaur-Altmetz barons in the 17th century. Giovanni Michele Spaur, Prince Bishop of Trento between 1696 and 1725, main figure of that family, was a cultured and refined man particularly linked to the community of Fai della Paganella where he consecrated the Church and to which he donated the holy remains of San Valentino, patron of the village. Following the disappearance of the Spaur family, the castle was taken over by the Welsperg family and then by the Unterrichters. The latter, in particular, used it as a summer residence, since they lived in a castle in Mezzolombardo, and they were famous for bringing baskets of exotic fruit from the gardens of the castle of the valley floor to Fai and, during the Second World War, also flour, constantly neighborly and willing to help the local community. The last inhabitants of the castle were the Baron Eugenio de Unterrichter with his wife Carla de Craigher, who settled there in the 1940s.

Today, the last descendant of the house is Ingrid, grandson of the last baroness Carla De Kreiger and of Baron Eugenio de Unterrichter, the last in line of stable occupant owners of the Fai castle, since in the 1940s they settled there having lost the castle of Mezzolombardo.

In the years 2017-2018, the niece of Eugenio and Carla, the Baroness Ingrid de Craigher, together with her family restored the apartments and the facade with skill and passion, preserving their original atmosphere and furnishings that match the rural character of the ancient residence. The three apartments obtained from the renovation, "Torre del Baron", "Residenza delle Contesse" and "Castello Fai" are located on the ground floor of the building, with direct access to the castle garden open to guests. "Torre del Baron" is 50 m2 and with its independent entrance is ideal for hosting 2 people, "Residenza delle Contesse" is a prestigious 120 m2 unit with three large rooms that can accommodate up to 6 beds, "Castello Fai ”is instead the combination of the two units for larger groups, with 170 m2 finely furnished.