Limatola Castle, the wonderful manor that transforms into a fairytale at Christmas

In the heart of Campania , among the green hills of Sannio crossed by the Volturno River, stands a fairytale castle that on a special occasion of the year opens its doors, transforming itself into a dream Christmas village : it is the Limatola Castle , in the province of Benevento, an ancient and fascinating Norman fortress that seems suspended in time.

The stones that make up its imposing walls still seem to whisper stories of ladies and knights, of battles and secret loves. Finely restored after years of decay, it now houses a hotel and private events, yet retains the historic charm of these vestiges of a distant past.

Built in the 12th century by the Normans, on the remains of an ancient Lombard tower, the manor was for centuries the home of sovereigns and powerful families: within its walls lived dynasties such as the Aragonese, the Sanseverino, up to the Counts Della Ratta , who in the 15th century transformed it into a refined Renaissance residence, and illustrious figures such as Charles I of Anjou and Garibaldi stayed there.

Its stone towers, majestic courtyards, and frescoed halls still tell millennia-old stories of sumptuous banquets, court intrigues, and secrets hidden over the centuries, making this castle one of the most evocative medieval testimonies in Southern Italy.

Nel Rinascimento, il castello visse una nuova stagione di splendore con interni arricchiti con affreschi ispirati alla Gerusalemme Liberata e alle grandi leggende cavalleresche. La chiesa palatina di San Nicola , al suo interno, conserva ancora il portale romanico e preziose opere del pittore Francesco da Tolentino, tra cui il polittico del 1527 con la Madonna col Bambino . La fortezza ospita anche un museo con testimonianze degli eventi storici del territorio, tra cui dipinti del 1861 che raffigurano la battaglia del Volturno.

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