Travel Photo Thursday: Italian Castles

When I recently reviewed two books that take place in Italy, A Small Place in Italy and The Midwife of Venice, my search for Italian photos brought these extras to mind.  Castle building was a big business in Renaissance Italy, and one architect, Francisco de Georgio Martini, was the designer for many of the fortress castles topping hills in the Le Marche region, and many were built by the Montefeltro family. Few actually saw war, so they served the same purpose that the building of a mansion or purchase of a yacht serve nowadays–to burnish the reputation of the owners.

View from San Leo Castle
View from San Leo Castle

You can tour many of these castles now and see museums of armor or instruments of torture (somehow armor always kind of looks like an instrument of torture to me.  But some of the castles hold surprises. For instance, some were used to hide priceless art works during World War II. In one we saw a gorgeous baroque theater. And of course, all of them command astounding views of the countryside.

The wall and a tower of San Leo
The wall and a tower of San Leo

 

Ken checking out the knights at San Leo
Ken checking out the knights at San Leo
San Leo Castle
San Leo Castle

For sheer, jaw-dropping audacity of site, nothing can outdo San Leo.  The stern walls with guardian towers present a battle-ready face on the town side and a scale-me-if-you-can challenge on this cliffside.  One of the stories about San Leo is that Napoleon came looking for the grave of a would-be sorcerer (or con man) whose “marks” included Catherine the Great of Russia and Marie Antoinette of France.  His name was Caglisto and when he was unmasked as a fraud, the church locked him up in a pit in this castle.  People still leave flowers there in remembrance. Everybody loves a scoundrel. His unmarked grave site on a hillside around the castle remains undiscovered.

Urbino Castle surrounded by more modern buildings
Urbino Castle surrounded by more modern buildings

You can see all of these castles within a day’s drive of Urbino in northern Le Marche.  Urbino was the home base of the most outstanding leader, intellectual and art patron of eastern Italy, Federico Montefeltro.  His Ducal palace, built by Martini in 1444, contains a marvelous display of art and of Renaissance manuscripts and furniture.

Urbino stands on a steep hill and is traversed by narrow cobblestone streets, but nevertheless contains a modern student body at its university. The Duke’s castle was built to take advantage of the terrain with a modest 3-story façade facing the town, and Rapunzel towers on the steep hillside in back. Over the centuries buildings have surrounded the castle, and this was the best I could do for a picture (above). When we trudged up the hill through the town to leave, we went the wrong direction, and couldn’t figure out where our car was. Eventually, we learned we had to go back inside the walls, walk downhill, and then take a turn and go up hill on another side. As invaders, we failed.

We set off to see the Castle at Urbania, but failed to find the turnoff to take us across the river to the castle–so here’s what we saw.

Urbania Castle
Urbania Castle

The unique castle of Sassocorvaro, sits rather benignly in its town.  The fat bastions of Sassocorvaro resemble tortoises–an alchemist symbol. Count Ubaldini, who commissioned Martini to build the castle in the 15th century, dabbled in alchemy. In the 18th century the owners added a Baroque Theater inside the castle. And in the 20th century, the castle protected masterpieces from around Italy.  You can now see full-size reproductions of the masterpieces hidden here during World War II, and learn where to see the originals. In all, 6509 paintings, sculptures and precious manuscripts survived 20th century warfare protected by these 15th century walls.

Sassocorvaro Tortoise Towers
Sassocorvaro Tortoise Towers

 

Painted Scenery at Sassocorvaro Castle Theater
Painted Scenery at Sassocorvaro Castle Theater

 

Painted ceiling in Sassocorvaro Castle theater
Painted ceiling in Sassocorvaro Castle theater

I wrote about these castles and other features of Le Marche for an automotive publication, which you can see in PDF here, along with more pictures from the area.

All these photos are my property. Please do not copy without express permission.

This is my contribution to Travel Photo Thursday.  To see more travel writer’s photos, as each Thursday, go to Budget Traveler’s Sandbox.

Now please read today’s Pet Travel offering, a review of a book about a dog lost at sea– from Pamela Webster, just above this article.

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About Vera Marie Badertscher

A freelance writer who loves to travel. When she is not traveling she is reading about travel. When she is not reading or traveling, she is sharing with the readers of A Traveler's Library, or recreating her family's past at Ancestors In Aprons . She has written for Reel Life With Jane, Life is a Trip and other websites. Also co-author of a biography, Quincy Tahoma, The Life and Legacy of a Navajo Artist. Contact Vera Marie by e-mail.

11 thoughts on “Travel Photo Thursday: Italian Castles

  1. Castles are my week spot. I could walk endless hours in and around them. I guess I like the feeling that this style of life belongs to the past and not very likely to come back.

  2. I loved Urbino. It (and the rest of Marche) really felt like hidden Italy. Didn’t see San Leo Castle, though. It looks so enticingly inaccessible from the angle in your photo. Reminds me a little of the Cathar fortifications in Languedoc.

  3. I love the styles of the various castles and am an absolute sucker for the European castles – especially those properly designed for defence rather than the overly ornate ones.

    1. The solid outside walls don’t tell all the story. Like casas surrounded by walls and open to gardens inside–the living space is in the interior–generally with a large open area used for parade ground, market place, work area, whatever. And even the small rooms in the towers and walls have slit windows on the outside and larger openings on the inside. Still, a fortified castle is not my idea of cushy living!

  4. Oh these are absolutely amazing. I knew an author who was working on a book about castles- we were in the same writing workshop together- I wonder if he ever got it published- I should look it up. Looking at these pictures and reading about the castles makes me want to buy scads of books about castles and manors….that is why I love the one which you sent me- about the Duponts and their abodes!

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