Castel Badia: Beneath the Vaults, the Mountains Remain

HOTELS · SOUTH TYROL, ITALY

Castel Badia stands on a wooded slope in San Lorenzo di Sebato, overlooking the Puster Valley. Also known as Schloss Sonnenburg, the castle dates back to the 11th century and later became a Benedictine convent. Karl Knötig converted it into a hotel in 1965; following a further restoration, it reopened in December 2025.

South Tyrolean practice Null17 undertook the architectural restoration, while Milan-based Droulers Architecture worked with designer Marta Ferri on the interiors. The restoration retained frescoes, vaults and woodwork from different periods. Furniture and fabrics vary with the dimensions and decoration of each room.

Pale sofas, orange-brown seating and paired arched windows in a rib-vaulted hall — Ribbed vaults span the lounge, with pale sofas, orange-brown chairs and small tables arranged along both sides.

A person setting a round table beside a window — A person sets a round table beside the window, with side light falling across its surface.

Bench and round table beneath paired arched windows with a snowy view — An upholstered bench and a round table sit beneath paired arched windows overlooking snowy slopes.

Winter side light across a rib-vaulted lounge and window seats — Winter sunlight enters through paired arched windows, illuminating seats and tables in the lounge.

Through Old Doorways to the Vaulted Hall

Buildings of different heights adjoin one another along the rocky slope. A round tower, gatehouse and enclosing walls preserve the outline of the castle. Beyond heavy timber doors, vaulted passages reveal fragments of frescoes and underground vaulted spaces supported by stone columns.

Working with heritage authorities and specialist craftspeople, the restoration team preserved frescoes, Romanesque vaults and Gothic details. New window frames and light fittings have simple profiles; stone, plaster and surviving decoration remain distinguishable on the walls.

Round castle tower, pitched roofs and distant snowy slopes — A conical tower roof rises above the pitched roofs, surrounded by woodland, village buildings and snow.

Castle on a rocky slope overlooking the winter valley — The castle sits on a rocky slope above snow-covered fields, woodland and the valley.

Adjoining castle façades and an arched gatehouse — Roofs and walls of different heights meet above an arched passage through the gatehouse.

Open timber door and a figure in a vaulted passage — A tall reddish-brown timber door opens into the vaulted passage, with a person standing beside it.

Fresco fragments above a doorway and pale plaster walls — Fragments of fresco remain above the doorway, bordered by pale plaster.

Stone columns, groin vaults and surviving frescoes in an underground chapel — Stone columns support a series of groin vaults, with fresco fragments on the walls.

Successive arches, a hanging lantern and rooms beyond — Successive arches connect the rooms, with paintings and chairs visible beneath a lantern pendant.

The former convent's Abbess' Hall is now a lounge. Beneath its high ribbed vaults, low pale sofas, orange-brown upholstered benches and curved-back armchairs form groups near the paired arched windows. The deep window recesses accommodate small tables and lamps, with views across the valley from the seats.

Other lounges occupy rooms of different sizes. Bookshelves fit into arched niches and a corner sofa sits beside a tall window. Some seats face surviving stone walls; others look towards woodland and snowy mountains. Timber floors, hand-applied plaster, velvet seating and linen fabrics recur throughout, while geometric embroidery on chair backs and cushions draws on local decorative traditions.

Sofa, cushions and terracotta-coloured lamp beneath a vault rib — A pale sofa stands against a plaster wall beside a terracotta-coloured lamp, beneath a vault rib and stone corbel.

Roofs, stone ruins and wooded mountains seen through an arched window — Through an arched window, a timber-shingled roof lies in front of surviving stone walls and wooded mountains.

Facing orange-brown sofas and a tall arched window towards the mountains — Two orange-brown sofas face one another beside a tall arched window overlooking old stone walls and mountains.

Arched bookcase, corner sofa and mountain view through a tall window — Bookshelves fit into an arched niche, with a corner sofa beside a tall window overlooking the mountains.

Rows of lounge seating beneath ribbed vaults and a window at the far end — Viewed along the lounge towards the paired arched windows, sofas and armchairs line both sides.

Window shadows, a round table and a green armchair — Window-grid shadows fall across the plaster wall beside a round table and green armchair.

Geometrically embroidered chair back and plaster wall in side light — Red geometric embroidery covers a chair back, with side light on the fabric and plaster wall.

Round table, bench and pale sofa beside paired arched windows — A bench and round table stand before paired arched windows, beside a pale sofa with fabric cushions.

Castle, wooded slope and valley fields at dusk — At dusk, the castle stands between a wooded slope and the open valley, with roads and fields beyond.

Rooms of Different Shapes

The hotel has 28 rooms and suites, plus a separate chalet. Layouts and finishes vary: some rooms sit beneath pitched roofs, with exposed beams and low armchairs beside the beds; others have timber-panelled walls and ceilings, furnished in a more traditional Alpine style.

Window-side arrangements follow the shape of each opening. Upholstered seats fit into recesses beneath sloping ceilings, with curtains and cushions close to the windows; larger glazed doors and windows reveal the nearby woodland. Some rooms open onto balconies, terraces or gardens, with views towards the inner courtyard, village or valley.

Painted timber door in an arched opening and sunlight on the floor — A painted timber door fills an arched opening, with sunlight falling diagonally across the floor.

Built-in upholstered window seat and cushions beneath a sloping ceiling — A built-in seat sits beneath a sloping roof window, with upholstery, cushions and curtains around the opening.

Bed, armchairs and low cabinet in a beamed attic room — A bed, armchairs and low cabinet sit beneath timber beams and a sloping ceiling, lit by table lamps.

Timber cabinet with diamond-relief doors, lamp, books and candlestick — Diamond-shaped reliefs articulate the cabinet doors; a lamp, books and a candlestick sit on top.

In the bathrooms, dark vanity tops meet timber shelves, and freestanding baths stand near windows. Some rooms also have private saunas or Turkish baths.

The separate chalet occupies the former convent bakery. Its 167 square metres are spread across three levels. Living and dining areas and a kitchen occupy the ground floor, opening onto a private garden; the other two levels contain bedrooms and bathrooms.

Double vanity, window and freestanding bath — A dark double vanity and freestanding bath flank the window, with a timber shelf below for storage.

Beamed bedroom, large bed and glazing towards the woodland — A large bed sits beneath timber ceiling beams, with a wall of glazed doors and windows facing the woodland.

Dining in the Old Rooms

The restaurant occupies a sequence of historic rooms, each different in size and decoration. Larger dining rooms retain pale ornamental ceilings, with upholstered benches set against timber panelling and tables beside windows and in the centre. Open timber doors provide views between adjoining rooms; paintings, niches and carved cabinets remain around the seating.

Tables and chairs come in different styles. Solid timber tables sit alongside carved-back chairs, upholstered armchairs and fixed benches. In smaller window-side dining rooms, benches flank the tables.

Dining tables, timber panelling and upholstered seating beneath a relief ceiling — Tables sit beneath a relief-decorated ceiling, surrounded by timber panelling and upholstered seating.

Person beside a dining table and wall lights flanking timber doors — A person arranges tableware beside a dining table; wall lights flank the double timber doors behind.

Small jug pouring sauce over pasta on a timber table — A person pours sauce over pasta from a small jug, with the plate resting on a timber table.

Window-side table and facing upholstered benches beneath an ornamental ceiling — A table sits between upholstered benches by the window, beneath a retained ornamental ceiling.

Dining tables, windows and ornamental ceiling in a timber-panelled room — Tables occupy the window edges and centre of the room, where timber walls meet a pale ornamental ceiling.

Large carved cabinet against a timber wall and a person beside it — A carved timber cabinet stands against the panelling as a person reaches inside to arrange its contents.

Connecting timber doors and statues in dining-room niches — Open timber doors connect two dining rooms, with small statues displayed in wall niches.

The smaller Stube dining rooms follow the traditional Alpine parlour, with timber-clad walls and ceilings. A blue-and-white tiled stove stands against the wall, with heart-cutout timber chairs and red upholstery around the tables. Compared with the larger rooms with decorative plasterwork, the furniture sits closer to the corners and the ceilings are lower.

Fireplace lounges and the bar also occupy old rooms. Timber chairs and side tables sit in front of a fireplace; elsewhere, portraits and paintings remain in lounges furnished with old timber chests as coffee tables. A long bar sits beneath exposed ceiling beams, with illuminated bottle shelves behind it and stools along the counter.

Timber-clad dining room, red benches and tiled stove — Timber walls and ceiling enclose the dining room, with red upholstered benches and a tiled stove beside the tables.

Blue-patterned tiled stove, timber table and red upholstered bench — A blue-patterned tiled stove stands against a timber wall, beside a table and red upholstered seating.

Heart-cutout timber chairs and corner dining area — Timber chairs have heart-shaped cutouts in their backs, with red cushions and a corner bench around the table.

Fireplace, firewood storage and stump tables against a stone wall — A fireplace stands before a rough stone wall, flanked by firewood storage, stump side tables and armchairs.

Orange-brown sofa, paintings and internal window in a vaulted lounge — An orange-brown sofa sits beneath the vault, with paintings on the wall and an internal window opening to the next room.

Seating and carved timber chest beneath portraits — Seats stand beneath two portraits, with a carved timber chest between them.

Long bar, illuminated bottle shelves and stools beneath timber beams — A long bar sits beneath timber beams, with illuminated bottle shelves behind and stools along the counter.

From Within the Rock to the Valley

A staircase at the heart of the castle descends to the spa. A Romanesque-vaulted corridor connects treatment rooms converted from former convent rooms. Indoors are a heated pool, saunas and relaxation areas. The pool has a green timber grid ceiling, with exposed rock in an arched niche at its far end.

Indoor pool beneath a green grid ceiling and a rock-filled niche — A green grid ceiling spans the indoor pool, with exposed rock in a niche at the far end.

Loungers beneath vaults and stone ruins beyond the windows — Loungers line both sides of the vaulted relaxation room, with old stone walls and slopes beyond the arched windows.

In a relaxation area beside the outer wall, loungers line the glazing, with rough stone walls and arched openings behind them. Outdoors are a Finnish sauna and two heated pools, one open from May to October, with views of the surrounding slopes from the poolside.

Seventeen gardens surround the castle, including a medicinal herb garden. A well with a timber roof remains in the inner courtyard, where outdoor tables and chairs sit beneath red parasols.

Valley-facing glazing, loungers and stone arches behind — A row of loungers faces a broad glazed wall, with rough stone walls and successive arches behind.

Castle buildings, courtyard walls and terraces on a wooded slope — Castle buildings spread along the wooded slope, with courtyard walls and terraces stepping below the roofs.

Timber-roofed courtyard well, red parasols and outdoor furniture — A well with a timber roof remains in the courtyard, beside outdoor tables and chairs beneath red parasols.

Silhouette carrying a tray with an illuminated arch behind — A person carries a tray through the interior, silhouetted against warm light from a tall arch.

Paired arched window with a slender stone column and misty valley beyond — A slender stone column divides a paired arched window overlooking the misty valley.

The refurbishment of Castel Badia works with the dimensions and decoration of its old rooms, accommodating bedrooms, dining and spa facilities according to the conditions in each. Seats and tables stand beside windows, keeping the valley in view when guests sit down.

Project credits

Project — Castel Badia
Historic name — Schloss Sonnenburg
Location — San Lorenzo di Sebato, South Tyrol, Italy
Address — Frazione Castelbadia 38, 39030 San Lorenzo di Sebato (BZ), Italy
Project type — Refurbishment of a hotel in a historic castle and former convent
Architectural restoration — Null17 Architektur
Interior design — Droulers Architecture
Design collaboration — Marta Ferri
Reopened — December 2025
Accommodation — 28 rooms and suites, plus 1 separate chalet
Chalet area — 167 m²
Images courtesy of — Castel Badia (all 47 images)
Original feature — Yatzer, 25 October 2026
Additional sources — Castel Badia official website; Null17 Architektur
Editorial adaptation — 01DES

Castel Badia: Beneath the Vaults, the Mountains Remain

Through Old Doorways to the Vaulted Hall

Rooms of Different Shapes

Dining in the Old Rooms

From Within the Rock to the Valley

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