Castle of Medole, Medieval castle in Medole, Italy
Castle of Medole is a fortress with a square tower featuring a clock, surrounded by ancient walls that protect the town's central square. The tower displays an unusual design with three closed sides and one open face, with original wooden structural elements still visible.
The fortress was first documented in 1020 through a donation act by Count Bonifacio of Verona and served as a strategic defense point against invasions. It played an important role protecting the region from external threats for centuries.
The name Medole predates the castle and gives the village its identity; the castle's chapel, dedicated to San Giusto, was donated in 1090 to the Cluniac Benedictines of Polirone. The tower's mechanical clock replaced a sundial on the keep, and the former parade ground is now Piazza Castello, the square at the heart of the old settlement.
The civic tower now functions as an exhibition space hosting art collections and cultural displays open to the public. The square surrounding the fortress is easy to navigate and serves as a natural gathering point in the village.
The Ghibelline crenellations still visible on the outer military quarter facing the old drawbridge date to the era when the castle was a stronghold of the imperial ally Ezzelino da Romano. The 16th-century tower forepart preserves the coat of arms of Count Evangelista Melone above its entrance.
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