Castello di Alviano, Renaissance castle in Alviano, Italy.
Castello di Alviano, also called Doria Pamphili, is a trapezoidal fortress with four circular corner towers and a Renaissance porticoed courtyard, built on medieval foundations. Its entrance portal is watched by a stone lion and a Medusa head. Three floors and an attic rise above the courtyard, and the castle now houses the town hall and two museums.
The castle was built in the late 1400s as both a military stronghold and residence for local noble families. It survived numerous regional conflicts while maintaining its core architectural form throughout the centuries.
The castle is still the seat of Alviano's municipal offices and houses two museums: the Museo della civiltà contadina and the Museo dei Capitani di Ventura. In the castle chapel, frescoes of episodes from the life of Saint Francis are attributed to Giuseppe Bastiani, and in one scene the face of Olimpia Maidalchini Pamphili can be recognised. Local stories and legends about the castle grew from the unusual people who lived in it.
The castle stands within the village of Alviano, so the approach is through the built-up centre rather than a climb to an isolated summit. It now houses the town hall and two museums, the Museo della civiltà contadina and the Museo dei Capitani di Ventura, so check municipal opening arrangements before setting out.
The entrance portal is guarded by a stone lion and a Medusa head, details visitors often walk past. Inside, the castle houses the town hall and two museums: the Museo della civiltà contadina and the Museo dei Capitani di Ventura.
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