A castle has towered over Ugento for over a thousand years, protecting the town and its people. As the visionary renovation work has peeled back layer upon layer of history, the roles it has played over the centuries, from Norman fort to elegant Baroque palazzo, have been revealed.
The castle’s turbulent history stretches over a thousand years. Built on Messapian remains, at one time a motte and bailey castle, the circular tower dates back to the Angevins who ruled the region in the 13th century. The castello was destroyed by marauding Turks, restored by a Frech king and extended in the 17th-century by luxury-loving Italian nobles…
>> Read moreA groundbreaking renovation project began in 2013 to restore this magnificent castle to its former glory and breathe new life into the golden stonework. The foundations of a Norman tower, hidden for 900 years were discovered along with Bronze Age artifacts.
>> Read more
A groundbreaking renovation project began in 2013 to restore this magnificent castle to its former glory and breathe new life into the golden stonework. The foundations of a Norman tower, hidden for 900 years were discovered along with Bronze Age artifacts.
>> Read more
The frescoes in the grand salons on the first floor were commissioned by Francesco and Nicola d’Amore in 1694 to celebrate the family history. The style is High Baroque, extremely decorative and born out of the Counter Reformation, which expressed a theatrical vision of man’s passage through life as he prepares for eternity.
>> Read moreThe ancient walls of a 17th century castle in Puglia are now primed to cradle a series of curated cutting-edge exhibitions and art installations. Castello di Ugento is set to become a vibrant cultural hub for the Salento region.
>> Read more
The ancient walls of a 17th century castle in Puglia are now primed to cradle a series of curated cutting-edge exhibitions and art installations. Castello di Ugento is set to become a vibrant cultural hub for the Salento region.
>> Read more
The first area of the castle to be restored was the 18th-century walled kitchen garden or ‘giardino di piante utili’. The castle’s kitchen is once more harvesting seasonal vegetables, herbs and fruit from the orchard.
>> Read moreIn 1643 Don Pietro Giacomo d’Amore acquired the town of Ugento and its fief. Castello di Ugento is still owned by the family, over 375 years later. As an ode to their name meaning “of love”, the d’Amore family coat of arms shows a pelican against a golden background opening its breast with its beak, to feed its chicks with its own heart, the ultimate sign of love.
>> Read more
In 1643 Don Pietro Giacomo d’Amore acquired the town of Ugento and its fief. Castello di Ugento is still owned by the family, over 375 years later. As an ode to their name meaning “of love”, the d’Amore family coat of arms shows a pelican against a golden background opening its breast with its beak, to feed its chicks with its own heart, the ultimate sign of love.
>> Read more
Puglia’s history is littered with conquerors and colonisers. At the crossroads of the eastern and western Mediterranean, this highly prized peninsula on the southern tip of Italy has been occupied and fought over by countless civilisations.
>> Read more
