Il castello Orsini si trova alle falde del monte Velino, nei pressi del borgo medievale di Albe Vecchia nel comune di Massa d'Albe (AQ).
Il castello sorge nei pressi dell'area archeologica caratterizzata dai resti dell'insediamento equicolo di Alba Fucens, colonia romana dopo la seconda guerra sannitica del IV secolo a.C., e del successivo borgo medievale di Albe, andato totalmente distrutto a causa del terremoto della Marsica del 1915.

Strategicamente posizionato a controllare l'originario tracciato della via Tiburtina Valeria, il castello venne ricostruito dai conti di Albe per essere distrutto nel 1268 da Carlo d'Angiò, vincitore della battaglia di Tagliacozzo.

Ricostruito di nuovo dalla famiglia Orsini a cominciare dal 1372 dopo la conquista della contea albense, venne gravemente danneggiato dal terremoto marsicano del 1915[2].

Durante la seconda guerra mondiale nel castello si stabilì il quartier generale tedesco dello schieramento impegnato tra la linea Gustav e la linea Caesar.

Architettura
Il castello ha una pianta rettangolare. Della cinta muraria rimangono ancora tre lati, ad esclusione di quello est. Due torrioni circolari a scarpa si trovano agli angoli nord-est e sud-ovest, mentre all'angolo nord-ovest si trovano i resti di una torre quadrangolare.

Il portale d'accesso è caratterizzato da un arco a sesto acuto, che farebbe risalire la costruzione della rocca al trecento, sebbene l'aggiunta della scarpa esterna testimonia una ristrutturazione risalente al XV secolo.

Castello Orsini

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Rocca Orsini (Italian for Stronghold of Orsini family) is a Middle Ages castle in Scurcola Marsicana, Province of L'Aquila (Abruzzo).
History
Rocca Orsini is located on the highest part of Scurcola Marsicana. It is composed by different structures belonging to different ages.

The oldest part was built by the De Pontibus family and dates back to the 13th century; it is a Norman-Swabian enclosure castle with a structure similar to many other fortifications in the area of L'Aquila, like Castle of San Pio delle Camere. The structure of the castle was based on a pentagonal tower placed at the higher top and a wall with a triangular plant leading down to the valley. Historical sources confirm the existence of this castle (named "castrum Sculcule") during the battle of Tagliacozzo in 1268 between Conradin and Charles I of Naples.

The transformation of the castle in Renaissance fortress took place in the late 15th century by the Orsini family. Gentile Virginio Orsini, Count of Tagliacozzo and Lord of Bracciano, in 1490 involved for the design of the new structure Francesco di Giorgio Martini, already engaged in the construction of the castle of Campagnano di Roma.

The passage of the castle to the Colonna family in the 16th century didn't bring important changes to the configuration of the structure.
Architecture
Rocca Orsini has a triangular plant with two cylindrical towers on the corners of the base and a bastion to the northwest, replacing the previous pentagonal tower of the enclosure castle.

According to the style of Francesco di Giorgio Martini, the triangular plant reduce the number of sides to defend in case of sieges. The defensive system survived also to the spread of firearms, with the presence of bunkers at the lower level to defend the castle from the attackers and thick walls able to resist to mortars. Moreover, the walkway is uninterrupted for the whole perimeter in order to allow quick movements.

The building, abandoned for a long time, was recently restructured thanks to an initiative of a local committee.

Rocca Orsini

The Orsini-Colonna castle (Italian for Castello Orsini-Colonna) is a castle in Avezzano, Province of L'Aquila (Abruzzo).
History
Castello Orsini was constructed in 1490 by Virginio Orsini and, in 1565, it was adapted by Marcantonio Colonna in fortified residence. In 1915 it was deeply damaged by an earthquake. Following its restoration, now it is used as a picture gallery and multifunction space.

Architecture
The squared building is protected by four circular towers at each corner. A circular tower was also in the middle of the internal courtyard, now demolished. The castle had a moat and a drawbridge. The current main entrance was built by the Colonna family to celebrate the battle of Lepanto.

Orsini-Colonna Castle 

Castello Piccolomini (Italian for Piccolomini castle) is a castle in Celano, Province of L'Aquila (Abruzzo).
History
The building of the castle took place in several stages. In 1392 Pietro De' Berardi built the walls of the castle and the first two floors of the building. In 1451 Leonello Acclozamora built the main floor and the four towers at the corners. In 1463 Antonio Todeschini Piccolomini completed the building as seen today, with an open gallery in the second floor of the courtyard and improvements in the walls around the castle.

The following families succeeded in the castle (like Sforza-Cesarini and Dragonetti) didn't changed further the structure of the building. A deep restoration took place since 1940, put on hold during World War II, restarted in 1955 and completed in 1960. Now the building is used as offices for the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities, in addition to a museum of sacred arts. 
Architecture
The main building has a rectangular plan, with the longest sides facing north and south. The internal courtyard hosts a well and it is surrounded by a colonnade.

The building is protected by irregular walls with several towers, part of them with a squared plan, and other ones trunk-conical shaped.

Castello Piccolomini (Celano) 

History
The first source to mention the castle of Ocre is a Papal bull of Pope Alexander III in 1178 in which it is mentioned among the possessions of the diocese of Forcona. In 1254 it was mentioned with the name of "Cassari Castro" between those saved from destruction during the founding of the town of L'Aquila.[2]

in 1266, the reign of Charles I of Naples, the castle was ravaged by troops from L'Aquila after the reconstruction of the city previously destroyed by Manfred, King of Sicily with the support of the barons of the castle. Charles of Anjou confiscated the castles close to L'Aquila as a result of their support to Conradin, and in 1269 the castle of Ocre was given to Morel de Saours.

In 1283 the castle was assigned to Giovanni di Bissone and in 1293 suffered another plunder by troops from L'Aquila. The most destructive attack, however, was launched in 1423 by the condottiero Braccio da Montone. Lost the role of defending the city of L'Aquila, the castle will start a gradual decline: at the beginning of the 16th century Ocre is no longer mentioned as "castrum" but as a "villa", with the population gradually abandoning the fortified village.

Architecture
The castle is actually more properly classified as "fortified village". The walls, in fact, include old houses, a tower houses and streets.

The plan is an isosceles triangle, with a perimeter of 470 m, the base (which is also the shortest side) to the northwest and the apex of the triangle to the southeast. The walls includes seven towers.

The only entrance to the castle is located at the corner tower on the west side and consists of an arched door dated back to the 13th century and protected by a defense system.

In the southern part of the village there is a church, dedicated to the Holy Saviour "inter castrum Ocre". Built on a nave and two aisles with an apse at the end and known since 1581, it is completely ruined now. From this church come the remains of a fresco of the mid 12th Century, depicting the Madonna and Child, today at the National Museum of Abruzzo.

Castello di Ocre

Il castello Piccolomini è un monumento nazionale che si trova ai bordi della piana del Fucino, nel comune di Ortucchio in provincia dell'Aquila.

Castello Piccolomini

The Castle of Sant'Eusanio Forconese is a medieval castle in Sant'Eusanio Forconese, Province of L'Aquila, Abruzzo, southern Italy.

History
The building has a structure of an enclosure castle to provide shelter to the population in case of danger. The presence of a tank of drinking water, suggests that the structure was able to provide shelter for long periods of time, in contrast to other enclosure castles the area.

Its position in the mid of the valley of the Aterno-Pescara river, among the Castles of Ocre, of San Pio delle Camere and of Barisciano, made it a strategic component for the defense of L'Aquila.

Architecture
The castle has a square plan with walls connecting five semi-circular towers (between three and five meters of internal diameter) and four square towers. The walls have a thickness of about one meter and a height varying from five to seven meters. On the western side of the walls, with no natural defenses, the castle is protected by a moat.

The entrance is an arched door in a square tower, close to the church of Our Lady of the Castle. This church was built inside the enclosure in the 17th-18th century, when the castle lost its defensive function.