Montessoro Castle, Isola del Cantone, Italy

According local sources the first castle in Montessoro was built in the 13th century. It was acquired by Spinola family in 1330 and the rebuilt the new castle in the early 15th century. The castle was used until 1797 when it was destroyed and abandoned in wars between French and local armies.

User Reviews

robyro49 . (2 years ago)
Bellissimo posto con vista incantevole su tutta la val Spinti. Adatto per brevi e rilassanti passeggiate.

alessio campiti (2 years ago)
Sopra l'abitato di Montessoro, castello spettacolare

Claudio Bernardini (2 years ago)
Sarebbe una bella opportunità per Montessoro ed il comune di Isola del Cantone, purtroppo dopo una parziale ristrutturazione , i lavori si sono fermati ed la parte dell' anfiteatro non è agibile per fare feste od organizzare eventi.Un'occasione mancata per tutta la comunità...

Artemisia (2 years ago)
Il Castello di Montessoro ,feudo della famiglia Spinola , era una antica fortificazione e dimora nobiliare del XIV secolo . Si trova appena sopra il borgo di Montessoro in posizione strategica come appunto era la sua funzione di dominio sulla Valle sottostante. È stata oggetto di restauri recenti e, pur rimanendo l'aspetto d' insieme di soli ruderi, è comunque un posto suggestivo che merita certamente una sosta.

loredana grubessich (3 years ago)
Molto suggestivo. Mi dicono i locali che è stato restaurato con i fondi della comunità europea. Vediamo di metterli a frutto, che - al momento non risulta fruibile. Ma perché?

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Angelokastro is a Byzantine castle on the island of Corfu. It is located at the top of the highest peak of the island"s shoreline in the northwest coast near Palaiokastritsa and built on particularly precipitous and rocky terrain. It stands 305 m on a steep cliff above the sea and surveys the City of Corfu and the mountains of mainland Greece to the southeast and a wide area of Corfu toward the northeast and northwest.

Angelokastro is one of the most important fortified complexes of Corfu. It was an acropolis which surveyed the region all the way to the southern Adriatic and presented a formidable strategic vantage point to the occupant of the castle.

Angelokastro formed a defensive triangle with the castles of Gardiki and Kassiopi, which covered Corfu"s defences to the south, northwest and northeast.

The castle never fell, despite frequent sieges and attempts at conquering it through the centuries, and played a decisive role in defending the island against pirate incursions and during three sieges of Corfu by the Ottomans, significantly contributing to their defeat.

During invasions it helped shelter the local peasant population. The villagers also fought against the invaders playing an active role in the defence of the castle.

The exact period of the building of the castle is not known, but it has often been attributed to the reigns of Michael I Komnenos and his son Michael II Komnenos. The first documentary evidence for the fortress dates to 1272, when Giordano di San Felice took possession of it for Charles of Anjou, who had seized Corfu from Manfred, King of Sicily in 1267.

From 1387 to the end of the 16th century, Angelokastro was the official capital of Corfu and the seat of the Provveditore Generale del Levante, governor of the Ionian islands and commander of the Venetian fleet, which was stationed in Corfu.

The governor of the castle (the castellan) was normally appointed by the City council of Corfu and was chosen amongst the noblemen of the island.

Angelokastro is considered one of the most imposing architectural remains in the Ionian Islands.

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