The first historical evidence of the Caracciolo Castle existence dates back to 1237. However, the origin of the stronghold is undoubtedly older, and historical research suggests that an initial form of fortification may have existed when the Lombard populations founded the first settlement on the hill in the 7th century.
Subsequently, ownership of the castle passed from the Angevins to the De Porcellis family, who administered it for a brief period before transferring it to a branch of the noble Caracciolo family, originally from Naples. In 1561, at the behest of Marcantonio Caracciolo, the main tower)was transformed into a prison, while the rest of the castle continued to serve as a residence. The Caracciolo family gradually expanded the castle and made it their permanent settlement. In 1783, Litterio Caracciolo enlarged and enriched the fortress with numerous works of art.
Following the earthquake of 1857, the fortress was in a state of abandonment, and Baron Barracco and his heirs lacked the financial means to initiate restoration work.
Caracciolo castle stands to the north on the steep hill of the town and is surrounded by two rivers, the Torrente Pergola and the Fiumicello. The castle, of medieval origin, has been modified and expanded several times throughout history.
Its current appearance is the result of a restoration following the earthquake of 1980. Currently, it is owned by the Municipality of Brienza, which is carrying out restoration work and an urban regeneration process that encompasses the entire medieval village below the fortress. Historically, both the village and the castle were part of the Principality of Citra until 1811 when they became part of the territory of the current Basilicata Region.
The Pilgrimage Church of Wies (Wieskirche) is an oval rococo church, designed in the late 1740s by Dominikus Zimmermann. It is located in the foothills of the Alps in the municipality of Steingaden.
The sanctuary of Wies is a pilgrimage church extraordinarily well-preserved in the beautiful setting of an Alpine valley, and is a perfect masterpiece of Rococo art and creative genius, as well as an exceptional testimony to a civilization that has disappeared.
The hamlet of Wies, in 1738, is said to have been the setting of a miracle in which tears were seen on a simple wooden figure of Christ mounted on a column that was no longer venerated by the Premonstratensian monks of the Abbey. A wooden chapel constructed in the fields housed the miraculous statue for some time. However, pilgrims from Germany, Austria, Bohemia, and even Italy became so numerous that the Abbot of the Premonstratensians of Steingaden decided to construct a splendid sanctuary.