The Pandone Castle of Venafro (province of Isernia) was originally a much larger structure, which can still be glimpsed at its ends. The fortification of the building took place in the second half of the 10th century under the Lombard count Paldefredo and his successors, along with the creation of a quadrangular paddock with at least two towers. The perimeter moat and the three large round towers, with truncated cone base, date back to the Angevin period.
In 1443 the castle became the property of the Pandone family, who transformed the castle into a residence, adding the loggia, garden and the painted decorations featuring the family (horse) stud and commissioned the widening of the moat and the building of a crenellated wing. It is possible to visit the garden and inside the castle, the 13th century staircase, piano nobile, the so-called Race Horse gallery, a loggia with arches, the Room of Charles V’s Horse, the Saloni dei Conti and the Sala del Teatrino.
The Castle has housed the National Museum since 2012, which gathers and displays artwork from churches and collections in the region, promoting local commissions and artistic production.
