Piccolomini Castle, Ortucchio

Castello Piccolomini is a Middle Ages castle which lies on the edge of the Fucino plain in Ortucchio, Province of L’Aquila, Abruzzo.

The structure was surrounded by a moat whose waters were connected to the lake. With the draining of the lake, this protection disappeared. After a previous stronghold was destroyed by Napoleone Orsini, Antonio Todeschini Piccolomini ordered the construction of the Renaissance-style building in 1488. The edifice, which was harmed by the 1915 earthquake, was renovated in the 1970s.

The castle features a rectangular layout with rounded towers at each of the four corners, only the foundation of which is still visible on the northwest tower. On the side of the walls facing the town is the castle’s entrance portal. Above the gate is a plaque with the Piccolomini family’s renovation date.

The keep is located inside the castle walls and is the oldest building there. It has battlements all the way around it.

Featured image: wikimedia