Riom castle and origen Riom

Riom Castle towers over a wooded hillside below the village. It was built by the Barons of Wangen from Südtirol shortly after 1227. From 1258 onwards it was the seat of the bishop-bailiff. For a long time it was the meeting place of the cantonal government and has only fallen into disuse since the 19th century. The castle, with its square, three-storeyed great hall and a relatively narrow tower with a tent roof, recalls the silhouette of a church castle. It provides a home for the highest colony of jackdaws in the Alps. The castle interior has been supplemented by a stage and stands for the audience to sit on, and thus transformed into a theatre and concert hall. Riom Castle is now a venue for plays, the home of Origen, the first Romansh theatre, which is rooted in the theatrical tradition of the Alpine countries. Origen reflects medieval mystery plays and has developed into a theatrical form of its own, using the contemporary methods of a music and dance theatre. Each year a new stage work is created and performed at Riom during the summer months.

Events