Ivano Castle, Ivano-fracena, Italy

Ivano castle history dates probably to the late 6th century AD, when Longobards built a fortifications against Franks and Alemans. Later it was extended agains Hungarian invasions. The first recorded document about the castle dates back to 1187 and there is a mention of the Lord of Ivano.

The Castle displays a mixture of architectural styles: the medieval walls, the Renaissance residence and the Benedictine lodge. From the watch tower you come to a moat and a large gate, followed by the outer courtyard with a fountain and an historical acacia tree from the 16th century. Next are the large hall of the old barn and the 17th century chapel. As you go on, you reach the inner courtyard, with two buildings linked by galleries.

User Reviews

Francesco Bressanini (3 years ago)
È un castello ancora abitato, visitabile in alcune aree ed in più location per ricevimenti, matrimoni eccetera.. davvero suggestivo. Ospita spesso mostre di vario genere.

Melina Markaki (3 years ago)
Beautiful place.

Daniele Civatti (3 years ago)
Wonderful location, it can host weddings

Danielle Plank (4 years ago)
If you are looking for the perfect wedding destination - look no further...you have just found it! The most difficult part of wedding planning was actually finding a place to marry. I am from Canada, my husband is from Austria and we live in England. It was going to be a tough choice - in the end, we decided on Italy in the end – the perfect combination between good food & wine and stunning landscapes. We spent hours doing online research on various wedding venues throughout Italy, but due to our restrictions (size of our wedding being one of them) we were able to limit our list of venues down to 8 venues. We flew across to Italy one weekend to do a 'roadshow' of these venues. We started in Venice and travelled north. Our second venue of the weekend was Castle Ivano in Ivano-fracena. We met Sabrina, the events coordinator at the castle - she was incredible knowledgeable and she just understood immediately what we were looking for. As most couples do, we had big plans and big expectations and with Sabrina all of these and more were met. She is so much more than an events coordinator at the castle, she is an organiser, a wedding planner, an idea generator and most importantly, in the end, a very good friend. I started this review by saying that the most difficult part of wedding planning was finding a place to marry, and the reason for this is clearly is that because after we chose Castle Ivano Sabrina made everything so easy. My husband and I were able to have the wedding of our dreams at Castle Ivano. It is a spectacular venue that can suit every budget. It is a place that has the flexibility that you need to make your day exactly what you want. It goes without saying that the backdrop and the setting of the castle is unparalleled. In fact, it is a place from our dreams! We highly recommend this to any couple that are looking to design THEIR day. This was a huge point for us, we did not want someone else's wedding - we wanted OUR wedding and we were able to get this at Castle Ivano.

Caterina DUCATI (4 years ago)
My favourite castle!

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

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Historic Site of the week

Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba

The Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba, also known as the Great Mosque of Córdoba and the Mezquita is regarded as one of the most accomplished monuments of Moorish architecture.

According to a traditional account, a small Visigoth church, the Catholic Basilica of Saint Vincent of Lérins, originally stood on the site. In 784 Abd al-Rahman I ordered construction of the Great Mosque, which was considerably expanded by later Muslim rulers. The mosque underwent numerous subsequent changes: Abd al-Rahman II ordered a new minaret, while in 961 Al-Hakam II enlarged the building and enriched the Mihrab. The last of such reforms was carried out by Almanzor in 987. It was connected to the Caliph"s palace by a raised walkway, mosques within the palaces being the tradition for previous Islamic rulers – as well as Christian Kings who built their palaces adjacent to churches. The Mezquita reached its current dimensions in 987 with the completion of the outer naves and courtyard.

In 1236, Córdoba was conquered by King Ferdinand III of Castile, and the centre of the mosque was converted into a Catholic cathedral. Alfonso X oversaw the construction of the Villaviciosa Chapel and the Royal Chapel within the mosque. The kings who followed added further Christian features, such as King Henry II rebuilding the chapel in the 14th century. The minaret of the mosque was also converted to the bell tower of the cathedral. It was adorned with Santiago de Compostela"s captured cathedral bells. Following a windstorm in 1589, the former minaret was further reinforced by encasing it within a new structure.

The most significant alteration was the building of a Renaissance cathedral nave in the middle of the expansive structure. The insertion was constructed by permission of Charles V, king of Castile and Aragon. Artisans and architects continued to add to the existing structure until the late 18th century.

Architecture

The building"s floor plan is seen to be parallel to some of the earliest mosques built from the very beginning of Islam. It had a rectangular prayer hall with aisles arranged perpendicular to the qibla, the direction towards which Muslims pray. The prayer hall was large and flat, with timber ceilings held up by arches of horseshoe-like appearance.

In planning the mosque, the architects incorporated a number of Roman columns with choice capitals. Some of the columns were already in the Gothic structure; others were sent from various regions of Iberia as presents from the governors of provinces. Ivory, jasper, porphyry, gold, silver, copper, and brass were used in the decorations. Marvellous mosaics and azulejos were designed. Later, the immense temple embodied all the styles of Morisco architecture into one composition.

The building is most notable for its arcaded hypostyle hall, with 856 columns of jasper, onyx, marble, granite and porphyry. These were made from pieces of the Roman temple that had occupied the site previously, as well as other Roman buildings, such as the Mérida amphitheatre. The double arches were an innovation, permitting higher ceilings than would otherwise be possible with relatively low columns. The double arches consist of a lower horseshoe arch and an upper semi-circular arch.

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