Castles of Italy: Castle of Salle

Castello Genova di Salle is a Middle Ages castle in Salle, Province of Pescara, Abruzzo.

The fortress was built before the 11th century and was once a fief of the San Clemente a Casauria abbey. The castle’s primary purpose was defensive, and it wasn’t until the 16th century, with the entrance into the Kingdom of Naples, that it began to serve as a house for the families who succeeded one another as proprietors, including Colonna and Gonzaga D’Aquino.

The castle was acquired by Baron Giacinto Di Genova of Vasto in 1646, who drastically altered it to make it into a majestic residence that is now the property of the Mechi family.

The remnants of the village of Salle Vecchia, which was destroyed by the earthquake in 1915, are visible all around the palace.

Three towers rise from a terrace that has a crenellated parapet above the irregularly shaped L-shaped castle building. A fountain from the 1500s is located in front of the main entrance, and an Italianate garden can be found in the building’s inner square.

The church of Blessed Robert of Salle occupies half of the major northeast arm and has two entrances. Three entrances flank the main facade on the north side and are covered by loopholes. The Bourbon Medieval Museum is located here, and it features a collection of clothes, weapons, torture devices, paintings, maps, religious robes, and both historic and contemporary pictures of Salle.

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