Photographs of
Italian Castles and Manor Houses

Castello delle Albere

Trento, Italy

Castello delle Albere or Palazzo delle Albere is a Renaissance villa-fortress in northern Italy. It was built during the 16th century by the Madruzzo family of prince-bishops of Trento.

It takes its name (literally "Palace of the trees ") from the rows of poplars that once led to the castle. It has a square plan, with four square, 6 m-wide and 20 m tall corner towers, surrounded by a ditch. It is surrounded by a park.

The third floor has Renaissance frescoes, depicting imaginary landscapes with ruins and castles, as well as the seven Liberal arts, the four Cardinal virtues and the three Theological virtues.

According the legend, the castle was connected by a secret tunnel to the city's cathedral, which was used by the prince-bishops move unseen between them. Since 1987, it has been the seat of the Trento and Rovereto Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MART).

Castel Sant Angelo (The Mausoleum of Hadrian)

Parco Adriano

Rome

Italy

Castel Sant' Angelo (The Mausoleum of Hadrian)

Parco Adriano, Rome, Italy

Castel Sant' Angelo is where popes traditionally carried out the executions of their enemies, with a large mallet, or by hanging drawing and quartering.

Castell’ Arquato

Piacenza, Emilia-Romagna, Italy

Castell'Arquato is an Italian town located on the fioot hills of Val D’Arda, which has maintained its appearance as it was in the early 10th century.

The Castle of Bardi (or Landi)

Upper Ceno Valley

Parma

Emilia-Romagna

Italy

The Castle of Bardi (or Landi)

Upper Ceno Valley, Parma, Emilia-Romagna, Italy

Castello Barletta,

Barletta-Andria-Trani

Italy

Castello Barletta,

Barletta-Andria-Trani

Italy

Castel Beseno, Beseno, Trentino-Alto Adige Italy

Castel Beseno - Schloss Pysein in German language, Beseno Castle in English - is the largest fortified structure of Trentino-Alto Adige.

main hall and staircase (1729-1733)

The Palazzina di caccia of Stupinigi (Stupinigi Palace),

Stupinigi, Nichelino, Nr Turin, Italy

Stupinigi Palace is one of the Residences of the Royal House of Savoy in northern Italy, built as a royal hunting lodge in the early 18th century.

It is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Villa Farnese, or Villa Caprarola

Caprarola, Viterbo, Northern Lazio, Italy.

The Villa Farnese is situated directly above the town of Caprarola and dominates its surroundings. It is a Renaissance and Mannerist construction, opening to the Monte Cimini, a range of densely wooded volcanic hills. It is built in reddish gold stone. Caprarola has always been an expression of Farnese power, rather than a villa in the usual agricultural or pleasure senses. (The Villa Farnese is be confused with the Palazzo Farnese or the Villa Farnesina, both in Rome).

Palmanova

Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy.

The town of Palmanova is an example of star fort of the Late Renaissance. It was built by the Venetians in 1593.

Palmanova

Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy.

The town of Palmanova is an example of star fort of the Late Renaissance. It was built by the Venetians in 1593.

You can just make out the star shaped defences outside the town at the top of the photograph.

Palmanova

Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy.

The town of Palmanova is an example of star fort of the Late Renaissance. It was built by the Venetians in 1593.

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Castello DI Gradara (Gradara Castle)

Gradara

Marche

Italy

Castello di Gradara (Gradara Castle), Gradara, Marche, Italy.

Gradara Castle is protected by two walls, the outermost of which extends for almost 800 meters.

Guglielmi Castle, Island of sol, Maggiore, Italy

The Guglielmi castle, or castle Isabella,was built as a summer residence in 1887 by the Marquis of Vulci and Civitavecchia, in agreement with his wife Isabella.

He bought the church of St. Francis and the monastery of the Friars Minor and had them incorporated into the new building,

Château d'Illasi

Via Strada Nuova, 37031 Illasi, Verona, Italy.

The Château d'Illasi is situated between the valleys of Illasi and Tramigna. Of the original structure only the gateway, a small tower, the remains of a chapel, two cisterns, the keep and 30meter high square tower remain.

The keep was transformed into a country house by the descendants of Malachino. It was inhabited up until 1737 when Giunio III Pompei built a large villa at Illasi, which now surrounds the castle ruins.

The site is now the property of the Sagramoso-Pompei Family and is not open to the public.

Castello a San Leo

Novafeltria, Emilia-Romagna, provincia di Rimini, Italy

Castello Mafredonico (Chiaramonte Castle)

Mussomeli

province of Caltanissetta

Sicily

Italy

Castello Mafredonico, Mussomeli (Mussumeli in Sicilian), Caltanissetta, Sicily, Italy.

The Chiaramonte Castle Castello Mafredonico, was built in 1370 in Norman-Gothic style. It stands on a high crag at 778 metres, 2 km outside the town.

It has halls, dungeons and torture cells, and a chapel with a alabaster depicting the Madonna dell Catena (1516).

The Palazzo Ducale DI Mantova (Ducal palace, Mantua) Lombardy, northern Italy

The Ducal Palace is a group of buildings built between the 14th and the 17th century mainly by the noble family of Gonzaga as their residence in the capital of their Duchy.

The complex includes some 500 rooms and occupies an area of c. 34,000 m².

Castel del Monte (Castle of the Mount), Andria, Apulia region, Italy

Castel del Monte is a 13th-century citadel and castle. It stands on a promontory, where it was constructed during the 1240s by the Emperor Frederick II, who had inherited the lands from his mother, Constance of Sicily.

It has neither a moat nor a drawbridge leading some to conclude that it was never intended as a defensive fortress; On the other hand, archaeological work has suggested that it originally had a curtain wall, so what we see today was just the keep of the original structure.

It is a World Heritage Site, and appears on the Italian version of the one-cent euro coin.

Castel del Monte (Castle of the Mount)

Andria, Apulia region, Italy

Castel del Monte is a 13th-century citadel and castle standing on a promontory. It was constructed during the 1240s by the Emperor Frederick II, who had inherited the lands from his mother, Constance of Sicily.

It has neither a moat nor a drawbridge leading some to conclude that it was never intended as a defensive fortress; On the other hand, archaeological work has suggested that it originally had a curtain wall, so what we see today might be just the keep of the original structure.

The Castel del MonteIt is a World Heritage Site, and appears on the Italian version of the one-cent euro coin.

Castello di Montegiove, between the old city-states Orvieto and Perugia, Italy

Built on the site of an ancient oman temple dedicated to Jupiter elicius, hence the name "mount of Jove"

Castel Nuovo, aka Maschio Angioino

Naples, Italy

Castel dell'Ovo ["Egg castle"], Via Eldorado, 3 80132 Naples, Italy

Castel dell'Ovo is located on the former island of Megaride, now a peninsula, in the gulf of Naples.

Castel dell'Ovo ["Egg castle"]

Via Eldorado, 3 80132 Naples, Italy

Castel dell'Ovo is located on the former island of Megaride, now a peninsula, in the gulf of Naples.

Castello DI Padernello (Padernello Castle)

Padernello

(near San Giacomo)

Brescia

Italy

Castello DI Padernello (Padernello Castle)

Padernello

(near San Giacomo)

Brescia

Italy

Castello Piccolomini (Celano Castle), Celano, provincia dell'Aquila, Marsica, Italy

The square castle, with round towers at the corners, was erected in its present form on the top of the San Vittorino Hill.

Its construction was commissioned by Count Pietro Berardi around the year 1392, and was finished around 1451.

Today, the castle hosts the Museum of Sacred Art of the Marsica.

Castello Piccolomini (Celano Castle), Celano, provincia dell'Aquila, Marsica, Italy

The square castle, with round towers at the corners, was erected in its present form on the top of the San Vittorino Hill.

Its construction was commissioned by Count Pietro Berardi around the year 1392, and was finished around 1451.

Today, the castle hosts the Museum of Sacred Art of the Marsica.

Castel Roncolo, territory of Ritten, near the city of Bolzano in South Tyrol, Italy.

The castle is known as Runkelstein Castle in English and Schloss Runkelstein in German.

It is a medieval fortification on a rocky spur. In 1237 Alderich, Prince-Bishop of Trent gave the brothers Friedrich and Beral, Lords of Wange,n permission to construct a castle on the rock then called Runchenstayn.

Parterres

Ruspoli Castle

Northern Lazio, Italy

The Peacock Room

Castello di Sammezzano

Reggello

Tuscany

Italy

Ceiling

Castello DI Sammezzano

Reggello

Tuscany

Italy

Spectacular ceiling

Castello DI Sammezzano

Reggello

Tuscany

Italy

Peacock Room

Castello DI Sammezzano

Reggello

Tuscany

Italy

Rocca Sanvitale (Sanvitale Castle)

Fontanellato

near Parma

Italy

The Castello Svevo (Swabian Castle), Bari, Apulia, Italy.

Probably built in 1132 by Norman King Roger II, it was destroyed in 1156 by king William I of Sicily and rebuilt and reinforced in 1233 by the Holy Roman emperor Fredrick II. During the Angevin domination, it went through several transformation, and after being acquired by Duke Ferdinand of Aragon, was donated to the Sforza family and passed to Bona Sforza, Queen of Poland. After Bona's death, it was returned under the King of Naples and transformed into a prison and barracks.

Its present appearance is distinctly 17th century

The Assembly of Gods around Jupiter's throne

(Giulio Romano, 1532-1534)

Sala dei Giganti, Palazzo del Tè, Mantua, Italy

Torrechiara Castle, Langhirano, province of Parma, Italy

Torrechiara was built by Pier Maria II Rossi, Count of San Secondo, between 1448 and 1460.

The building was a defensive structure, but also a mansion for the count's lover, Bianca Pellegrini, for which a famous hall, the Camera d'Oro ("Golden Chamber") was built with decorations by Benedetto Bembo.

Scenes of the 1985 film Ladyhawke were shot at the castle.

Trostburg, Burgfriedenstraße, 22, 39040 Ponte Gardena Bozen, Italy

Rocca di Urbisaglia, Italy

Castello Valentino, Turin, Italy

Castello del Valentino (Castle of Valentino) is located in Valentino Park. It was one of the Residences of the Royal House of Savoy included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1997.

Today it is the seat of the Architecture Faculty of the Polytechnic University of Turin.

San Vittore alle Chiuse, Genga, Marche, Italy

San Vittore alle Chiuse is not a castle but a Roman Catholic abbey and church.

The edifice is known from the year 1011, and is example of Byzantine-influenced architecture in Italy.