Visiting castles in Italy and the medieval towns around them can be a rewarding part of Italy travel. Castles are evocative of Italy's past and have fantastic views of the town and surrounding countryside. Some Italian castles have museums inside and some have even been remodeled into hotels where you can spend the night.
Here's a sampling of Italian castles. Click on the photo to see it larger and click on the link above the photo for more information about the town and castle.
Want to stay in a castle? Check these Castle Hotels in Italy.
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.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.
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.
