Located near Balsorano, L’Aquila, the Piccolomini castle (Castello Piccolomini) is a castle from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance (Abruzzo).
In 1460, Antonio Piccolomini, the pope Pius II’s nephew, began construction on the fortress. Currently a hotel, between the 1960s and 1970s, several mystery and horror films were filmed at the castle. A round tower is located at each corner of the castle’s atypical pentagonal layout. The castle of Balsorano was built, on the foundations of another earlier military structure.
The entrance consists of a partly restored wall that surrounded the castle. An arched gate surmounted by a window with a loggia provides access to the castle. The garden is connected to an inner portico that contains the little square for the well. There are classical arches with stucco and Gothic mullioned windows. The walls served as protection but today have been equipped for walks and as a belvedere.
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