Limatola Castle was built in the 12th century by the Normans on the remains of an ancient Lombard tower. It stands on a hill, in a strategic position: ruler of the ancient medieval town of Benevento and guardian of the valley furrowed by the Volturno River, between the Taburno massif, Mount Maggiore and the Tifatini Mountains.
The interventions promoted by Charles I of Anjou date back to 1277, to be recognized in the ogival vaulted rooms adjoining the oldest part of the structure corresponding to the rectangular-shaped keep. To the Counts Della Ratta, feudal lords of Limatola from 1420, are ascribable the interventions on the outermost walls and restructuring and extensions implemented in some rooms on the stairs and loggias, in Renaissance taste.
In the second decade of the 16th century, Francesco Gambacorta and Caterina Della Ratta carried out interventions on the defensive structures and on the Palatine Church of St. Nicholas, which, however, retains its original Romanesque portal. During the Renaissance, major renovations transformed it from a military dwelling, of which it still retains some features such as the City Wall interspersed with towers and the Scarpata up to the height of the cornice, to a stately home.
Limatola Castle, now represents a prestigious point of historical, artistic and cultural interest. The Sgueglia family, current owners, implemented a redevelopment project completed in 2010 that restored the prestigious manor to its former glory. Once a defensive dwelling, it is now an enchanting location to experience your special moments: a place where the present and the past live in perfect harmony, in a magical and evocative combination.
References: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.