Utente:Fabio Goffi 95/Sandbox
Castle of Avigliana[modifica | modifica wikitesto]
- Military Structure
- Current state Italy, Piedmont, Turin, Avigliana
- Medieval castle
- Start of costruction X Century
The '''castle of Avigliana''' is one of the oldest castles in Piedmont (10th century). Currently ruined, it is located in Avigliana at the entrance of the Val di Susa, 25 km from the capital Turin.
History[modifica | modifica wikitesto]
The castle was built in 924 by the Marquis of Turin Arduino il Glabro. Of mighty size and with high towers, it developed easily thanks to its position (it was the last bulwark before Turin for those who came from France) suffering over the centuries numerous destructions and looting.
It was mentioned for the first time thanks to a chronicle written between 1058 and 1061. In the margin of the narration of the facts that led to the foundation between 983 and 987 of the Sacra di San Michele, the chronicler describes that Marquis Arduino V used to live in the castle of Avigliana. This stronghold also performed an important defensive function by hosting in the 10th century armies of soldiers in the long struggle against the Saracen invasion in north-western Italy.
In 1137 the construction is documented as one of the favourite seats of the Count of Savoy Amedeo III when he arrived on this side of the Alps (the Counts of Savoy had entered Piedmont only in 1091 after having acquired the territorial inheritance of the Marquise Adelaide di Susa), becoming in the following century the centre of expansion of interests towards Turin. As evidence of this, Umberto III di Savoia, son and heir of Amadeus III, was born in it on 4 August 1136. When there were no Counts, the castle of Avigliana was the permanent seat of the castellan (appointed by the Count) who administered the surrounding territory on behalf of his lord, who in turn was feudal lord of the Holy Roman Empire. Federico Barbarossa during his descent into Italy destroyed it together with the villages below Ferronia and Pagliarino.and then it was rebuilt by Tommaso I di Savoia.
In the course of three centuries the function of the castle definitively established itself as one of the main command centres of the county, creating the conditions for an urban and settlement revolution at the foot of the hill on which it stood. In the 11th century castle and village were to constitute a very elementary settlement structure; a fortified hill with the oldest settlement adjacent, arranged in rows along the Via Francigena which ran along the northern base of the rocky protuberance of Monte Pezzulano. It is very likely that among the needs of the Marquises of Turin there was the need to create a fortified centre at the mouth of the Val di Susa towards the plain of Turin, in a geographical position of strategic importance.
On 24th February 1360 in the castle of Avigliana was born Amadeus VII Count of Savoy, known as Count Rosso, and in 1368 he was imprisoned there waiting for the death sentence for drowning in Lake Avigliana Philip II di Savoia-Acaia, the rebel prince who had ruled Turin on behalf of Count Verde (who instead resided with his court on the other side of the Alps). In August 1449, finally, the walls of the old castle saw the birth of Bona di Savoia, future wife of the powerful Duke of Milan Galeazzo Maria Sforza.
After the 15th century and until its destruction, the castle, after the period of splendour of the Savoy court had ended, mainly assumed the function of a fortress in the lower Susa Valley. Many times destroyed and always rebuilt (the last time by Amedeo di Castellamonte in 1655) the castle was destroyed with the use of mines for the last time by the French troops of Marshal Catinat in May 1691. It was no longer able to be rebuilt because of the changed strategic situation of the area, with the construction of the new Savoy fortresses of Brunetta di Susa in 1708 (later demolished at the end of the 18th century) and the Fort of Exilles. Currently only ruins of the ancient manor remain.
Curiosity[modifica | modifica wikitesto]
- It is said that during the last battle, some French soldiers, sneaking into the fureria, stole a chest containing the officers' wages and sneaked away burying the loot in the grove to the right of the entrance to the castle where it would still be today. The legend also tells of a large boulder that would bear an arrow indicating the direction in which to look for the treasure.
- Because of its suggestiveness, the area near the ruins is full of "apparitions" of ghosts; it is also said that Filippo II of Acaja was imprisoned in this manor and, having found death by drowning there, his soul still hovers over the surface of the lakes.
Location[modifica | modifica wikitesto]
The castle is situated on the top of Monte Pezzulano (467 m a.s.l.) just above the village of Avigliana, and can be easily reached from the heart of the medieval town centre of Avigliana (Piazza Conte Rosso) via a short path. It represents an excellent observation point over the Lakes of Avigliana (in particular over Lake Grande), the morainic hill of Rivoli and the famous Abbey of San Michele.
Bibliography[modifica | modifica wikitesto]
AA.VV. - Il Piemonte paese per paese - Ed. Bonechi - 1993 - Firenze