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

Veste Coburg

The Veste Coburg is one of Germany's largest castles. The hill on which the fortress stands was inhabited from the Neolithic to the early Middle Ages according to the results of excavations. The first documentary mention of Coburg occurs in 1056, in a gift by Richeza of Lotharingia. Richeza gave her properties to Anno II, Archbishop of Cologne, to allow the creation of Saalfeld Abbey in 1071. In 1075, a chapel dedicated to Saint Peter and Saint Paul is mentioned on the fortified Coberg. This document also refers to a Vogt named Gerhart, implying that the local possessions of the Saalfeld Benedictines were administered from the hill.

A document signed by Pope Honorius II in 1206 refers to a mons coburg, a hill settlement. In the 13th century, the hill overlooked the town of Trufalistat (Coburg's predecessor) and the important trade route from Nuremberg via Erfurt to Leipzig. A document dated from 1225 uses the term schloss (palace) for the first time. At the time, the town was controlled by the Dukes of Merania. They were followed in 1248 by the Counts of Henneberg who ruled Coburg until 1353, save for a period from 1292-1312, when the House of Ascania was in charge.

In 1353, Coburg fell to Friedrich, Markgraf von Meißen of the House of Wettin. His successor, Friedrich der Streitbare was awarded the status of Elector of Saxony in 1423. As a result of the Hussite Wars the fortifications of the Veste were expanded in 1430.

Early modern times through Thirty Years' War

In 1485, in the Partition of Leipzig, Veste Coburg fell to the Ernestine branch of the family. A year later, Elector Friedrich der Weise and Johann der Beständige took over the rule of Coburg. Johann used the Veste as a residence from 1499. In 1506/07, Lucas Cranach the Elder lived and worked in the Veste. From April to October 1530, during the Diet of Augsburg, Martin Luther sought protection at the Veste, as he was under an Imperial ban at the time. Whilst he stayed at the fortress, Luther continued with his work translating the Bible into German. In 1547, Johann Ernst moved the residence of the ducal family to a more convenient and fashionable location, Ehrenburg Palace in the town centre of Coburg. The Veste now only served as a fortification.

In the further splitting of the Ernestine line, Coburg became the seat of the Herzogtum von Sachsen-Coburg, the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg. The first duke was Johann Casimir (1564-1633), who modernized the fortifications. In 1632, the fortress was unsuccessfully besieged by Imperial and Bavarian forces commanded by Albrecht von Wallenstein for seven days during the Thirty Years' War. Its defence was commanded by Georg Christoph von Taupadel. On 17 March 1635, after a renewed siege of five months' duration, the Veste was handed over to the Imperials under Guillaume de Lamboy.

17th through 19th centuries

From 1638-72, Coburg and the Veste were part of the Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg. In 1672, they passed to the Dukes of Saxe-Gotha and in 1735 it was joined to the Duchy of Saxe-Saalfeld. Following the introduction of Primogeniture by Duke Franz Josias (1697-1764), Coburg went by way of Ernst Friedrich (1724-1800) to Franz (1750-1806), noted art collector, and to Duke Ernst III (1784-1844), who remodeled the castle.

In 1826, the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha was created and Ernst now styled himself 'Ernst I'. Military use of the Veste had ceased by 1700 and outer fortifications had been demolished in 1803-38. From 1838-60, Ernst had the run-down fortress converted into a Gothic revival residence. In 1860, use of the Zeughaus as a prison (since 1782) was discontinued. Through a successful policy of political marriages, the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha established links with several of the major European dynasties, including that of the United Kingdom.

20th century

The dynasty ended with the reign of Herzog Carl Eduard (1884-1954), also known as Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, a grandson of Queen Victoria, who until 1919 also was the 2nd Duke of Albany in the United Kingdom. Under his rule, many changes made to the Veste in the 19th century were reversed under architect Bodo Ebhardt, with the aim of restoring a more authentic medieval look. Along with the other ruling princes of Germany, Carl Eduard was deposed in the revolution of 1918-1919. After Carl Eduard abdicated in late 1918, the Veste came into possession of the state of Bavaria, but the former duke was allowed to live there until his death. The works of art collected by the family were gifted to the Coburger Landesstiftung, a foundation, which today runs the museum.

In 1945, the Veste was seriously damaged by artillery fire in the final days of World War II. After 1946, renovation works were undertaken by the new owner, the Bayerische Verwaltung der staatlichen Schlösser, Gärten und Seen.

Today

The Veste is open to the public and today houses museums, including a collection art objects and paintings that belonged to the ducal family of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, a large collection of arms and armor, significant examples of early modern coaches and sleighs, and important collections of prints, drawings and coins.

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