Castello di Riardo

The Castello di Riardo stands on the top of a hill overlooking the Savone plain to the west, a long stream that has its source in Roccamonfina and reaches the coast where it flows into the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Its origins date back to the Lombard period, in the second half of the 9th century, when the four sons of Landolfo, progenitors of the famous Castaldei dynasty, began to build fortresses and castles in strategic locations to defend the county of Capua, which later became a principality. Under Norman rule in the 11th century, the city was enlarged.

It was the protagonist of an important historical event linked to King Ferrante of Aragon, who sacked the city in 1463. The story goes that the sovereign was mocked and tricked by three local warriors who locked themselves in the castle in exchange for a large sum of money. They got what they wanted, but were never seen leaving the castle. With the discovery of an underground passageway, it was assumed that they had escaped from there. In honour of these cunning Riardesi, the artist Riccardo Dalisi created statues that are now on display in the castle. The current appearance of the building is due to the interventions it underwent during the Angevin period, clearly recognisable in the "elephant's foot" stonework and the distinctive crenellations on the towers and walls.

The building has four levels: a basement, a ground floor and two upper floors with a huge arched window overlooking a landscape stretching from the extinct volcano of Roccamonfina to the sea. Particularly charming are the gardens on the northern slope where a wooden walkway opens onto the Matese massif. Restoration work has begun and has already seen the recovery of the great hall on the ground floor of the north wing.

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