Castello Piccolomini (

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

for ''Piccolomini Castle'') is a

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

castle in

Ortucchio Ortucchio is a ''comune'' and town in the province of L'Aquila in the Abruzzo region of central Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Itali ...

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

(

Abruzzo Abruzzo (, ; ; , ''Abbrìzze'' or ''Abbrèzze'' ; ), historically also known as Abruzzi, is a Regions of Italy, region of Southern Italy with an area of 10,763 square km (4,156 sq mi) and a population of 1.3 million. It is divided into four ...

History

Castello Piccolomini di Ortucchio iscrizione

The Piccolomini Castle originally stood on the island of Ortucchio by Lake

Fucino The Fucine Lake ( or ) was a large endorheic karst lake between above sea level and surrounded by the Monte Sirente-Monte Velino mountain ranges to the north-northeast, Mount Salviano to the west, Vallelonga to the south, and the Valle del Giove ...

. The structure was surrounded by a moat whose waters were connected to the lake. With the lake's drainage, this protection was lost. The Renaissance-style structure was commissioned in 1488 by Antonio Todeschini Piccolomini following the destruction of a previous fortification by Napoleone

Orsini Orsini is a surname of Italian origin, originally derived from Latin ''ursinus'' ("bearlike") and originating as an epithet or sobriquet describing the name-bearer's purported strength. Notable people with the surname include the following: * Aaro ...

. Damaged by the

1915 Avezzano earthquake The 1915 Avezzano earthquake or 1915 Fucino earthquake occurred on 13 January in central Italy at . The shock had a moment magnitude of 6.7 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of XI (''Extreme''). The epicenter was located in the city of Avezzano ...

, the building was restored in the 1970s.

Architecture

The castle has a rectangular plan with circular towers at the corners of the walls, with only the base remaining of the northwest tower. The entrance portal to the castle is located on the wall facing the village, and above the portal is a plaque bearing the date of the Piccolomini reconstruction. Inside the walls is the keep, the oldest structure of the castle, characterized by battlements around its perimeter.

References

External links

* Piccolomini (Ortucchio) Ortucchio {{Italy-castle-stub