Castle of the
Capano Princes

Description

Seven centuries of Cilento history

The Castle of the Capano Princes was inherited in 1290 by Guido d'Alment, who came to Italy in the retinue of Charles I of Anjou, and later acquired by the Capano family, who made it the heart of the fief of Pollica. The architectural layout we see today is the result of the great renovation commissioned in 1610 by Vincenzo Capano, the fifteenth prince of Pollica.

It dominates the small old town with its quadrangular tower that rises over three levels, each opened by a single window. Inside, the castle still preserves, in their original simplicity, the service rooms: the oil mill, the guardhouses and the stables.

Local tradition recalls that Saint Alphonsus Maria de' Liguori stayed several times within these walls, gathering information on the pagan practices still widespread in Cilento: one room is still called "Saint Alphonsus's room". Since 1997 the castle has been owned by the Municipality, which has made it the town hall and a venue for cultural initiatives.

All the places in Pollica