The ruins of the Ahrensperg Castle stand in the vicinity of Biacis, near the small church of St James the Apostle. The fortress already existed in 1251 and was strategically located to control the road between Cividale and the transalpine region of Noricum (Austria), being part of the system of low-medieval fortified complexes along the Natisone, Gronumbergo and Zuccola rivers. In 1364, the castle was destroyed during hostilities between Patriarch Lodovico della Torre and Duke Rudolf IV of Habsburg. The church dates back to 1511 and is dedicated to St James and St Anne. When it was demolished in the 14th century, the quadrangular tower was spared, and it was restored in 1927. Since 2003, the University of Udine has initiated several excavation campaigns during which sections of the walls, some rooms and further structures of the castle complex were brought to light; numerous mobile artefacts have emerged from the excavations, which are now preserved in the Medieval Archaeological Museum in Attimis.
Ahrensperg Castle
Recently renovated castle and site of archaeological excavations and findings.
