The enchanting village of Morano Calabro, Orange Flag and listed among the most beautiful villages in Italy, hosts among its beauties the ancient Norman-Swabian Castle. The building, as its name suggests, takes us back to the distant era of Frederick II and his court, a time of condottieri, strongholds and battles that still seem to live on among the remains of this ancient construction.
The castle, like many fortresses built for defensive purposes, dominates from above the village of Morano Calabro and the entire valley of the Cascile river, both of which are incorporated in the Pollino Park nature reserve.
The original layout underwent several modifications over time that have given it to us as we see it today.
Today, a building remains that, although reduced almost to the state of ruins, still retains all its majestic power.
In Roman times, the hill where the castle stands was already known and was used as an observation point.
The base of the medieval core, in fact, bears traces of opus incertum, a probable remnant of ancient Roman foundations on which a much larger and more articulated building was erected. In fact, around 1200, during the Swabian period, the militia set up their feudal headquarters there with Apollonio Morano at the head: major structural changes were therefore necessary. The Roman tower was enlarged, a wall was built and several rooms were constructed: the fortress had become a small castle.
Massive works were carried out during the 16th century, under the feudal lord Pietrantonio Sanseverino, who chose the castle as his summer residence. It took skilled workers and more than thirty years (from 1514 to 1545) to complete the project. An ambitious project that was inspired by the famous model of the Maschio Angioino in Naples, recalling its shapes and volumes and emphasising even more the defensive aspect of the structure.
From 1648 it was owned by the Spinelli Princes of Scalea, who maintained it until 1811, in an increasingly critical condition. Numerous thefts and spoliations were carried out against the castle, in 1733 it suffered structural damage for reasons that are still unclear, and during the French decade (in 1806 to be precise) it was severely bombed.
A recent restoration was carried out in the 2000s, which shows roughly what the castle must have looked like at the dawn of the 18th century.
Unfortunately, much has been lost, but a good part of the structure has been preserved and, when visiting it, it is not difficult to imagine all its original majesty and get an idea of what this place must have looked like centuries ago.
Within the ancient walls, its three-storey high layout, with several flats inside divided into different rooms, all surrounded by ravelins and a moat with a drawbridge, is still clearly visible.
Those who visit this place will breathe in the air of history and ancient lineages that have succeeded one another over time, plus they will enjoy a spectacular view of the village and the valley.
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