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

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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.

Castle of Sant'Eusanio Forconese

The Forte Spagnolo (Italian for Spanish fortress; locally called il Castello) is a Renaissance castle in L'Aquila, central Italy.
History
In the 15th century, L'Aquila had become the second most powerful city in the Kingdom of Naples after Naples itself: there were half a million sheep, wool and saffron were exported throughout Europe; all this was lost when the Aquilans, during the war between the French and the Spaniards for the throne of Naples, sided with the French. In 1504 Aquila was occupied by the Spanish conquerors, though in 1527 the French recovered the city with the support of the citizens and the surrounding town. One year later Viceroy Philibert of Orange, ruling for King Charles V of Spain, finally defeated the Aquilan rebels and ordered the city to build a fortress in the highest spot North of the city, exactly where in 1401 King Ladislaus had built a garrison to control the unruly and rebellious Aquilans.

The project was entrusted to a Spanish architect, Pedro Luis Escrivà, an expert of firearms, who had begun to build Castel Sant'Elmo in Naples. The discovery of gunpowder obliged to new methods of defensive construction. Escrivà was in charge of the project for 2 years, leaving the task to Gian Girolamo Escribà.

In the following 30 years the heavy taxes necessary to build the fortress impoverished the city, which in 1567 begged the Spaniards to stop the construction; the Royal Court granted the request, and works were interrupted, so parts of the castle were never completed. The fortress had cost an enormous sum for the times, and Aquila was obliged also to sell the thick silver case containing the body of St. Bernardino of Siena.

The fortress, which had been built not to defend the city, but to control it (its cannons pointed to the city) and to be a completely self-sufficient structure, was never used in a battle.

Architecture
Escrivà planned a giant fortress, made of four bastions connected through 60 meters long walls, with a thickness of 30 metres at the bottom and 5 meters at top. The walls were surmounted by massive merlons, with openings for the archers and the long-distance cannons. All around the fortress was a ditch (never filled with water) 23 meters wide and 14 meters deep, aimed at defending the foundations from the enemy's artillery.

The slanted walls would reject enemy fire to the sides; each bastion consisted of two separate and completely self-sufficient environments - called "case matte" - almost independent garrisons on their own. Also the aqueduct to the city was deviated so as to supply the fortress first of all, and in case of rebellion block the water supply.

Moreover, Escrivà planned a special anti-mine corridor, a kind of empty space between the outer and inner walls which could be walked only by one man at a time (and which can be visited today), aiming at defending the castle in case of explosion in case enemy soldiers excavated tunnels to leave mines at the foundations. A whole hill was leveled down to supply the white stone necessary for the fortress, while the city's bells were melted to make the cannons.

In 1798 the citizens fought against the French who had invaded Italy, attacking, in vain, the fortress. From then on, the building was used as a prison. After 1860 it became a military headquarters, and in the Second World War was occupied and damaged by the Germans. Between 1949 and 1951 the castle was restored, and chosen as the seat of the Museo Nazionale d'Abruzzo.

Forte Spagnolo (La Aquila)

Castel Camponeschi è un borgo fortificato sito sulla piana di Prata d'Ansidonia, in provincia dell'Aquila.
Fu costruito intorno al XIII secolo (rimaneggiato poi nel XV secolo), e rappresentava l'originale castrum di Prata. Per la prima volta fu nominato nel 1508 come Castrum S. Petri Camponeschi. La tradizione vuole che il borgo fosse stato costruito all'epoca dell'edificazione della chiesa di San Paolo di Peltuinum, e che poi il feudo fosse passato nelle mani della famiglia aquilana Camponeschi. Dopo vari passaggi di mano in epoca spagnola, il castello fu feudo della famiglia Nardis dal 1634 al 1806. È stato abitato fino al 1963, quando l'ultima famiglia si trasferì a Prata. Dal 2003 fino al 2008 seguì un'importante operazione di restauro. Tale restauro purtroppo è stato concluso solo in metà del borgo, interrotto a causa del terremoto del 2009.

Descrizione
L'impianto è costituito da una cinta muraria rettangolare con resti di torri, unite ad abitazioni e palazzi. Le due porte medievali di accesso al cardo e al decumano sono perfettamente conservate. La porta ovest inoltre è affiancata da un grande torrione troncato a metà, e da una chiesa, oggi sconsacrata, dedicata a San Pietro. Il Castello Camponeschi è simile, al modello toscano di Monteriggioni nel quale le abitazioni sono completamente distaccate dalla cinta muraria. Le mura rimangono tracce di sei torrioni quadrangolari che circondano il perimetro murario.

Chiesa di San Pietro
Lo stile è medievale: la facciata è piatta con due portali e due piccoli rosoni. L'interno è diviso in due navate, e il campanile è ricavato in una delle torri.

Castel Camponeschi 

The Castle of San Pio delle Camere (Italian: Castello di San Pio delle Camere) is a medieval castle in San Pio delle Camere, province of L'Aquila, Abruzzo, southern Italy.
History
The oldest mention about the castle of San Pio delle Camere date back to 1173, indicating it as a fief of the Barons of Poppleto (nowadays Coppito), later becoming a fief of the House of Caracciolo.[1]

Placed above the town of San Pio delle Camere, the role of the castle was to provide shelter for people and their livestock in time of danger.

The current state of the castle was the result of the attack brought in 1424 by the condottiero Braccio da Montone, involving also the castle of Barisciano.

Architecture
The structure of the castle is an enclosure, with its building that took place in two stages, the first one with the construction of the tower and the second one with the walls.

The tower's plan is formed by a square and an equilateral triangle. The plan of the walls is triangular, with the tower at the top and other smaller towers along the walls.

The structure of the castle has been revised several times, as shown, for example, by the raising of the walls, that probably took place in the 14th century.

Castle of San Pio delle Camere

The Castle of Bominaco (Italian: Castello di Bominaco) is a medieval castle in Bominaco, Province of L'Aquila, Abruzzo, southern Italy.[1]

History
The castle of Bominaco is placed on top of the complex including the church of Santa Maria Assunta and the Oratory of San Pellegrino, in a commanding position on the plateau of Navelli.[2]

The original structure dates back to the 12th century, but its current appearance comes from the destruction of the former castle by Braccio da Montone in 1424 and its reconstruction by the feudal lord of Bominaco Cyprian of Iacobuccio from Forfona, with permission of the Pope Martin V.

Architecture
The castle walls have a trapezoidal plan, with squared towers in the middle. The highest point of the enclosure is defended by a strong cylindrical tower.

The interior of the enclosure still retains traces of complex masonry structures housed at the time.

Castle of Bominaco

Rocca Calascio è una rocca situata in Abruzzo, in provincia dell'Aquila, nel territorio del comune di Calascio, ad un'altitudine di 1460 metri s.l.m, poco sopra il paese. Compresa nel Parco nazionale del Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga, è conosciuta per la presenza del castello, tra i più elevati d'Italia, e dell'antico borgo medievale sottostante, ancora oggi abitato, considerata uno dei simboli dell'Abruzzo.
Storia
La fondazione della rocca è dovuta probabilmente alla volontà di re Ruggero d'Altavilla dopo la conquista normanna del 1140 con prevalente funzione di avvistamento, anche se il primo documento storico che ne attesta la presenza è datato 1239. Fece parte con Calascio, Castelvecchio Calvisio, Carapelle Calvisio e Santo Stefano di Sessanio della celebre Baronia di Carapelle, della quale seguì le vicende storiche fino al 1806, anno dell'abolizione della feudalità.

Nei secoli si susseguirono nel dominio le famiglie Pagliara, Plessis, Colonna, Celano, Caldora, Accrocciamuro, Todeschini Piccolomini, Del Pezzo, Cattaneo, Medici, Borbone. In particolare nel 1463 venne concessa da re Ferdinando ad Antonio Todeschini della famiglia Piccolomini che modificò la fortificazione dotandola di una cerchia muraria in ciottolame e quattro torri di forma cilindrica a uso militare, con una merlatura ghibellina. Nel 1703 venne devastata da un violento terremoto in seguito al quale l'area più alta del borgo venne abbandonata e buona parte della popolazione si trasferì nel vicino paese di Calascio.

Nel XX secolo anche le ultime famiglie rimaste abbandonarono il borgo e la rocca rimase disabitat. Sul finire del secolo però, anche sull'onda del successo derivato dall'ambientazione di alcuni film (su tutti Ladyhawke del 1985 e Il nome della rosa del 1986), alcune abitazioni sono state recuperate e altre sono state convertite a strutture ricettive; il castello, inoltre, ha subito un'importante operazione di restauro e consolidamento ed è oggi una delle principali attrazioni turistiche della zona, grazie al lavoro di due coniugi e della loro famiglia che hanno aperto un albergo diffuso poco sotto il castello.

Rocca Calascio

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) 

Castello Piccolomini (Italian for Piccolomini castle) is a castle in Capestrano, Province of L'Aquila (Abruzzo).
History
The castle was built replacing a Medieval fort, of which remains the central tower. Several families, like Acquaviva, Piccolomini, and Medici, modified the building up to the current structure, completed in 1485.

Now the castle is used as city hall and it was deeply restructured in 1924.

Architecture
The castle is made of two L shaped structure, of which the larger one, facing south-west, contains the main entrance from the town central square. The internal courtyard, with a well in the middle, has the old medieval tower facing north-east.

Castello Piccolomini (Capestrano)

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.