Castles in the Heel of the Boot
© Steve Parode
The southern Italy region of Puglia, known as the Heel of the Boot, is home to many castles and fortresses including the unusual octagonal Csstel del Monte, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Here are six of the top castles to see in the region.
Rapallo Castle
Martha Bakerjian, licensed to about.com
Rapallo, on the Italian Riviera near the Cinque Terre, has a tiny picturesque castle in the sea. It was built in 1551 to guard against pirate attacks. Rapallo also has a small historic center that's interesting to walk around.
Sarzana - Sarzanella Castle
James Martin, Europe Travel
Sarzanella Castle is in Liguria near the border of Tuscany. Sarzana, a small walled town famous for its antique shops, has two castles - one in town and this picturesque castle in the countryside overlooking Sarzana. From the castle are views of picturesque hill towns nearby.
Piemonte - Manta Castle
Castello della Manta is a Gothic castle in the Piemonte region south of Turin. Inside are stunning freeoes from the early 15th century.
L'Aquila, Sermoneta, and Trento Region Castles
Nancy Parode takes a look at castles in the Abruzzo capital of L'Aquila, Sermoneta's castle south of Rome, and a castle in northern Italy's Trento region in her photo gallery, Castles of Italy.Benevento - Rocca dei Rettori
Martha Bakerjian
Rocca dei Rettori stands at the high point of Benevento, a town in the inland part of southern Italy's Campania region. The tower was built in 871 by the Lombards in a spot that had been an important defensive position in Roman times when it overlooked two major Roman roads. The more modern Palazzo dei Governatori (now the Palazzo dei Prefettura) was added by the Popes in the 1320s and has a museum of contemporary art.
Portofino - Castello Brown
Martha Bakerjian, Italy Travel
Castello Brown, in the Italian Riviera village of Portofino, became the residence of Yeats Brown, British consul to Genoa, in 1870. Inside are furnishings and pictures belonging to the Browns as well as photos of many famous visitors to Portofino. There's a nice garden and good views of the sea and the village of Portofino. The castle, open from 10 - 7 in summer and 10-5 in winter, is reached by a pleasant footpath by the botanic gardens.
