The late-medieval Aragonese Castle of Castrovillari (CS) was built by Ferdinand I of Aragon in 1490. Overlooking the Coscile and Fiumicello river valleys, the castle has an external trapezoid fortification and is rectangular inside, with four cylindrical corner towers. The largest of the towers, the keep, was known as the cursed tower because of the torturous treatment of those imprisoned there. The castle’s enclosing wall has a single entranceway which once had a drawbridge, while a large inner courtyard leads to the various dwelling areas.
The underground basements follow the architectural criteria of the military engineer Francesco di Giorgio Martini, who built the castle to function as a prison, with dark corridors, barrel vaulted rooms and secret passages. The manor was used as a prison from 1495 to 1995. Open to the public today, it is one of the region’s best conserved castles.
Fondazione Calabria Film Commission
Cittadella Regione Calabria — Località Germaneto — 88100 Catanzaro
Phone: +39 0961 853836
Email: info@calabriafilmcommission.it
