The Piccolomini Castle in Capestrano (AQ) is one of the most interesting fortified complexes in Abruzzo. Its history is entwined with a succession of powerful houses from the Dukes of Acquaviva di San Valentino to the Piccolomini family and the Medicis who owned the castle up to the abolition of feudal system.
The 15th century residential building (1485), now the offices of the municipality, encompasses the ruins of a previous medieval fortification whose imposing prismatic tower looms over the rest of the complex. The fort had a double function: a castle that served as both a fortified residential manor and as a protective enclosure. The inner courtyard has a 15th century marble well at its centre flanked by columns with leafy capitals. An elegant stone staircase leads up to the higher floors. A small military museum dedicated to the two world wars can be visited inside. The top of its walls offer a wonderful view of the evocative landscape with the Valle del Tirino surrounded by encircled by mountains.
Film Commission d'Abruzzo
Centro Regionale Beni Culturali - Sulmona
Phone: + 39 0864 576303
Email: crbc@regione.abruzzo.it
