The Castle of San Pio delle Camere (

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

: ''Castello di San Pio delle Camere'') is a

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...

castle in

San Pio delle Camere San Pio delle Camere is a ''comune'' and town in the province of L'Aquila in the Abruzzo region of central Italy. Main sights * The medieval castle * Medieval borough of Castelnuovo * Parish church of San Pietro Celestino, dedicated to Pope Cel ...

province of L'Aquila The Province of L'Aquila ( it, Provincia dell'Aquila) is the largest, most mountainous and least densely populated province of the Abruzzo region of Central Italy. It comprises about half the landmass of Abruzzo and occupies the western part o ...

Abruzzo Abruzzo (, , ; nap, label=Neapolitan language, Abruzzese Neapolitan, Abbrùzze , ''Abbrìzze'' or ''Abbrèzze'' ; nap, label=Sabino dialect, Aquilano, Abbrùzzu; #History, historically Abruzzi) is a Regions of Italy, region of Southern Italy wi ...

, southern

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

History

The oldest mention about the castle of San Pio delle Camere date back to 1173, indicating it as a fief of the Barons of Poppleto (nowadays Coppito), later becoming a fief of the

House of Caracciolo The House of Caracciolo () is a prominent aristocratic family from the city of Naples. The Caracciolo are considered one of the most important families in the history of the Kingdom of Naples, holding relevant posts in the Spanish Empire as well. ...

. Placed above the town of San Pio delle Camere, the role of the castle was to provide shelter for people and their livestock in time of danger. The current state of the castle was the result of the attack brought in 1424 by the condottiero

Braccio da Montone {{Infobox noble, type , name = Braccio da Montone , title = Prince of Capua , image = Braccio da Montone.jpg , caption = , alt = , CoA = , more = no , succession = Prince of Capua , reign = {{nowrap, July 1421 – 5 June 1424 , predecessor = R ...

, involving also the

castle of Barisciano The Castle of Barisciano (Italian: ''Castello di Barisciano'') is a medieval castle in Barisciano, province of L'Aquila, Abruzzo, southern Italy. History Placed at 1500 m on the Selva mountain to protect the village of Barisciano, the cas ...

Architecture

The structure of the castle is an

enclosure Enclosure or Inclosure is a term, used in English landownership, that refers to the appropriation of "waste" or " common land" enclosing it and by doing so depriving commoners of their rights of access and privilege. Agreements to enclose land ...

, with its building that took place in two stages, the first one with the construction of the tower and the second one with the walls. The tower's plan is formed by a square and an equilateral triangle. The plan of the walls is triangular, with the tower at the top and other smaller towers along the walls. The structure of the castle has been revised several times, as shown, for example, by the raising of the walls, that probably took place in the 14th century.

References

External links

*{{cite web , language=it , url=http://www.regione.abruzzo.it/xcultura/index.asp?modello=castelloaq&servizio=xList&stileDiv=monoLeft&template=intIndex&b=menuCast2179&tom=179 , title=Castello-recinto di S. Pio delle Camere , publisher=Regione Abruzzo , accessdate=January 18, 2016 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924112532/http://www.regione.abruzzo.it/xcultura/index.asp?modello=castelloaq&servizio=xList&stileDiv=monoLeft&template=intIndex&b=menuCast2179&tom=179# , archive-date=2015-09-24 , url-status=dead

San Pio delle Camere