Overview
Originally built in medieval times, the castle underwent a Renaissance transformation from the 15th century onwards. As a strategic point for monitoring the transhumance routes between Apulia and Abruzzo, it welcomed the noble Capua family.
The interior rooms are embellished by the cycle of frescoes commissioned by Vincenzo di Capua and painted by Donato da Copertino (Decumbertino), a follower of Giorgio Vasari, in 1550. By narrating mythological and biblical episodes, characters from ancient history, landscapes and allegories, he emphasises the qualities of the Capua family. Donato used subjects, allegories and techniques typical of the early 16th century in these frescoes. Visiting the Salone delle Virtù, the Sala delle Maschere, the Sala del Pergolato, the Sala del Cammino and the Studiolo is like flipping through a page of Mannerist art. In other large rooms, where there are interesting late medieval architectural details, parts of the Praitano and Eliseo collections and some of the artwork from the Musa collection are displayed in two different exhibitions. These collections include paintings ranging from the modern to the contemporary age.
