Tyrolese Architecture 
hold and was reserved for the more impor¬ 
tant prisoners. In the main building or pallas 
were the rooms of state for the family of the 
lord and for his guests. Generally this 
section was large and had several stories. 
Its chief distinction was a great hall with 
lofty windows often enriched by dividing 
columns. The interior walls were deco¬ 
rated with paintings or were covered with 
woven hangings. The chapel was gener¬ 
ally an important part of the castle, but in 
many cases where the danger of attack was 
greatest it was lacking, and all the resources 
of the rocky summit were given not to 
spiritual or physical comfort but to construc¬ 
tions of defense alone. 
The building materials at hand were not 
of the best and stone in very small pieces 
had to be used in the main body of the walls. 
There it was laid in rough horizontal range- 
work with wide joints deeply “struck” in 
THE COURTYARD OF SCHLOSS FURSTENBURC 
places; in others the cement mortar filled 
them completely and was “ parged ” over 
the uneven surfaces of the stone. For 
the corners the larger pieces were saved 
and were laid as irregular quoins. In the 
chapels windows, doorways and ornaments 
were wrought with great richness ; but the 
walls of other portions of the castles denote 
the strict necessities of their purpose. Rude 
markings of a pointed hammer are the only 
traces of elaboration found there. Consider¬ 
able timber was used by the Romans in the 
construction of the original ramparts within 
the walls, but as time passed by, it was 
replaced by permanent masonry. Other pecu¬ 
liarities of construction may be found in the 
illustrations of Tyrolese castles here published. 
dTe former capital of the Tyrol was the 
picturesque city of Meran at the eastern end 
of the Vinstchgau, near the confluence of the 
River Passer and the Adige. The neighbor- 
VINTSCHGAU, TYROL 
28 
