Rocca di Villalago (Italian for ''Villalago Rocca'') 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 ...

rocca in

Villalago Villalago ( Abruzzese: ') is a ''comune'' and town in the province of L'Aquila in the Abruzzo region of Italy. It is one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia () is a non-profit private association of small Italian towns of strong historical and ar ...

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

Built in a strategic position on a hill overlooking the Sagittario Valley, the structure served as a defensive and watchtower. Currently, some interiors of the fortress house the Museum of Arts and Popular Traditions of Villalago. Structurally, it consisted of defensive walls and a cylindrical

keep A keep is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word ''keep'', but usually consider it to refer to large towers in castles that were fortified residen ...

about ten to twelve meters high, equipped with

battlements A battlement, in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet (a defensive low wall between chest-height and head-height), in which gaps or indentations, which are often rectangular, occur at intervals t ...

, constructed in a

Romanesque style Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of medieval Europe that was predominant in the 11th and 12th centuries. The style eventually developed into the Gothic style with the shape of the arches providing a simple distinction: the Ro ...

. The defensive walls have been partially replaced by civilian houses, but the keep is still in good condition.

Architecture

The Baronial Palace is the main part of the fortress, built in the

. It now houses the aforementioned museum. The structure is rectangular but irregular, divided into two levels by a cornice. The windows are rectangular. The Lombard tower is the oldest part of the entire fortress. It has a circular structure with a pitched roof (similar to a

pagoda A pagoda is a tiered tower with multiple eaves common to Thailand, Cambodia, Nepal, India, China, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Vietnam, and other parts of Asia. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most often Buddhist, but some ...

), and small windows for watch shifts. At its base are the ruins of a second tower, which have been converted into a lookout point for tourism. However, the cylindrical tower is also visitable. Near the tower are the remains of a medieval noble chapel, adjoining the Baronial Palace. The Oratory of Our Lady of Sorrows was built around the 1300s and has traces of frescoes. The Museum of Trades of the Fortress was open in 2003 in the halls of the Baronial Palace, it comprises several rooms displaying informative panels and faithful reproductions of ancient local trades. It particularly describes the work of the

shepherd A shepherd is a person who tends, herds, feeds, or guards flocks of sheep. Shepherding is one of the world's oldest occupations; it exists in many parts of the globe, and it is an important part of Pastoralism, pastoralist animal husbandry. ...

and the journeys along the Abruzzo sheep tracks. Later, it also details the trades of the fisherman and the miller.

References

External links

Rocca di Villalago Rocca di Villalago (Italian for ''Villalago Rocca'') is a Middle Ages Rocca (architecture), rocca in Villalago, Province of L'Aquila (Abruzzo). History Built in a strategic position on a hill overlooking the Sagittario (river), Sagittario Va ...

Villalago {{Italy-castle-stub