Castles in Italy

Where to See Italian Castles

Portovenere's Andria Doria Castle dominates the pretty Italian Riviera village of Portovenere. Built by the Genoese between the 12th and 17th centuries, the castle now houses a small art museum open in the summer from 11:00. Narrow medieval streets lead up to the castle where there are fine views of the sea and the picturesque San Pietro Church on the edge of the promontory.

Portovenere Pictures

La Rocca Albornoziana sits above the hill town of Spoleto in the southern Umbria region. From the castle there are great views of Spoleto, the Bridge of Towers over the gorge, and the surrounding valley. Rocca Albornoziana was built on the foundation of the Roman acropolis in the 14th century and served as the seat for local pontifical governors. It has two grand courtyards, six towers, and some beautiful frescoes. Visiting the castle is only possible on a tour, arranged at the ticket office at the entrance to the castle grounds. Check the schedule for the English tour times.

Spoleto Pictures

Castell'Arquato is a picturesque hill town in the Emilia Romagna region of northern Italy topped by its castle - Rocca Viscontea di Castell'Arquato. Inside the castle is a fortress museum with a video about the castle and four rooms about life in the middle ages. You can climb the stairs in the tower for fantastic views of the town spilling down the hill and the surrounding countryside. Although its small, this is one of my favorites and its not overrun with tourists. The town has been the setting for several movies.

Pontremoli is a well-preserved medieval town and principal town of northern Tuscany's Lunigiana region. Above the town is a restored castle, Castello del Piagnaro, with the Museum of Statue-Menhirs, a museum of prehistoric stele statues or sandstone sculptures that are important prehistoric artifacts. Piagnaro Castle gets its name from the slate slabs, piagne, common in the area. From the castle, there's a great view of the town and the surrounding hills. The museum and castle are open daily except in winter when it's closed on Mondays.

Lunigiana Map | Pontremoli Photo Gallery on Wandering Italy

The northern Italian city of Milan has a castle that's not on a hill and in fact is right downtown, within walking distance of the duomo. Castello Sforzesco was built in the 15th century but has been renovated several times. The castle became a museum complex in the 19th century and still houses several museums today.

Milan Pictures

Soave is a small wine town enclosed by its medieval walls, topped by a castle and surrounded by vineyards producing the famous Soave wine. Soave is in northern Italy's Veneto region, near Verona.

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.

Forte di Vinadio is in a picturesque setting in the beautiful Piedmont countryside of the Stura Valley, between Cuneo and France. The fort was built for King Carlo Alberto from 1834 - 1847 and was an important 19th century fortress. Forte di Vinadio is open mid-May through October. In summer it's open daily, 2:30 to 7:00 or 10:00 to 7:00 on Sunday. Other months, it's open on weekends only.