Castello Piccolomini, Celano

The castle of Celano is a clear example of military construction transformed into a residential dwelling, representing a transition from fortified medieval to Renaissance architecture.

Construction was in three steps. The first stage took place around 1392 by order of Pietro Berardi Count of Celano, and according to local historians, the construction was on one floor. In 1451, Leonello Acclozamora, Duke of Bari, husband of Icobella Countess of Celano, brought the castle almost to completion, creating the first floor, the walkway and the four corner towers. Although with some stylistic differences, the rational setting of the building still maintained a substantial unity.

It was Antonio Piccolomini, a nephew of Pope Pius II, appointed to the county of Celano in 1463 by Ferrante of Aragon, to give a final form to the castle. He added some hanging lodges and opened a Renaissance window on the east side, built the upper gallery, and placed his coat of arms, a cross and crescent moon, at the center of the capitals of all columns. At this stage, some changes were made to the walls with the addition, at the most exposed spots, of five large semi-circular towers and the pedestrian entrance to the south-east was preceded by a large cylindrical tower.

At that time the castle had become a residential palace; from the Piccolomini in 1712 it passed to the Savelli family, then to the Sforza Cesarini and from them to the Sforza Cabrera Bovadilla, whose Francesco Sforza was last Count of Celano. After the abolition of feudalism in 1806, the ownership of the building passed to a number of noble families, including the Marquis Dragonetti of L'Aquila, the D'Amore of Cerchio, the Tomassetti of Celano and the D'Arezzo family.

Given the high seismic risk of the area, the castle received damage from earthquakes that followed over the centuries - in 1695, 1706, 1780 when the battlements of the towers fell down and finally the catastrophic earthquake of 13 January 1915, which caused the collapse of the arcades of the courtyard, floors, the battlements and seriously damage the towers, leaving the building in a state of abandonment.

Restoration works began in 1940 when the castle was declared a National Monument and became the property of the Italian state. After an interruption caused by World War II, works resumed in 1955 and the the restoration was completed in 1960. The monument is currently home to a branch office of the Art Department of the Italian Government, and in its large halls art exhibitions, organized meetings and events of all kinds are held, making the Castle a major reference point for the culture of Marsica.