La Castiglia, Castle and history museum in Saluzzo, Italy.
La Castiglia is a castle in Saluzzo with four cylindrical towers connected by ramparts and a circular tower displaying the city's coat of arms. Inside, three museums are housed: a contemporary art collection, a museum of knightly civilization, and a museum dedicated to prison history.
Construction began in 1271 under Marquis Tommaso I as a fortress and residence for the ruling family. It served as the center of power for the Marquisate until 1548, when its role as a princely seat came to an end.
The name La Castiglia likely comes from the Latin castella, meaning castles, because several fortifications stood on this spot. Today the rooms house the Museo della Civiltà Cavalleresca on the third floor, covering the Marquisate of Saluzzo between the 1100s and 1500s.
The complex opened to the public after restorations begun in 2006. The IGAV contemporary art collection is on the ground floor, the Museo della Civiltà Cavalleresca on the third floor, and the Museo della Memoria Carceraria in the basement rooms of the former prison, closed in 1992. A restaurant also operates inside.
The prison closed in 1992, and since then the basement has housed the Museo della Memoria Carceraria in the rooms of the old penitentiary. The museum opened after restoration work began in 2006, when the complex was given to the municipality of Saluzzo in 2002.
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