The Aragon Castle stands on the edges of the residential area of Ortona (CH), in a spectacular position, overlooking a sheer drop to the blue Adriatic Sea. It dates to 1452 and the Aragon domination of Abruzzo. It originally had a trapezoid outline with four cylindrical, undecorated corner towers in a style often used in 15th century fortifications. Later, a noble residence was built inside the walls in the 1700s. Having fallen into disuse in the 19th century, the abandoned castle was used as an artillery warehouse during WWII until it was bombed in the notorious Battle of Ortona. The weapons and ammunition in the building exploded and the structure was irrevocably compromised. This caused the collapse of the highest part on the hill in 1946, and the castle lost one of its four towers. The Soprintendenza per i Beni Architettonici ed il Paesaggio dell'Aquila began work in 2001 to make the castle safe. Today, there is only a garden inside the walls. The West Tower houses a small museum with old photographs and furniture that belonged to the noble families who owned the castle while the lookouts and still intact windows of the East Tower offer extraordinary views of the sea.
Film Commission d'Abruzzo
Centro Regionale Beni Culturali - Sulmona
Phone: + 39 0864 576303
Email: crbc@regione.abruzzo.it
