Italy · 8th century
The Castello di Montesarchio is a castle in Montesarchio in the province of Benevento, region of Campania, Italy. Since 2007, it houses an archaeologic museum of the region: the Museo Archeologico Nazionale del Sannio Caudino di Montesarchio.
The castle is sited atop Monte Taburno, and had been the site of prior fortifications during the medieval period, including occupations by Lombards and Normans. The present structure was mainly erected during the Aragonese rule of the Kingdom. Following the Italian War of 1542-1546 between the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and King Francis I of France, the castle was confiscated and given in 1532 to the Marquis of the Vasto, Alfonso II d’Avalos. In 1830, the castle was confiscated by the kingdom and turned into a prison. Among the famous mid-19th-century patriots jailed here were Carlo Poerio, Sigismondo Castromediano, Michele Pironti, and Nicola Nisco. The castle remained a prison until the end of the Second World War, and during the 1960s it served as an orphanage (Istituto Mater Orphanorum).
Text adapted from “Castello di Montesarchio” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Castello di Montesarchio ranks #7,548 of 9,079 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #524 of the 560 mapped in Italy. Founded c. 750, it is older than 95% of the atlas's dated landmarks — one of 48 atlas entries founded in the 8th century. 1 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. The nearest day-trip guide is Naples, 42 km away. See how Italy compares in the castle statistics.
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