CASTLES BELLAGUARDIA AND DELLA VILLA
Castle Bellaguardia (called “Castle of Juliet”) rises at an altitude of 254 meters and is about 300 meters away from one more castle Castello della Villa (called “Castle of Romeo”).
It is a modest enclosure built by Cangrande della Scala between 1354 and 1356 to defend one more old tower, probably part of an ancient manor dating back to the 11th century.
The enclosure has a characteristic adorn plan and the access, without a drawbridge, composed of a door closed by a gate and a knocker placed at the side of the tower for easier defense operations. The castle was built to perform almost exclusively military functions and was probably guarded by a continuous patrol walkway.
Castle Della Villa (or Romeo castle) consists of a trapezoidal fence, built around the mid-fourteenth century by the Scaligeri incorporating. Similar to the Castle of Juliet, a tower from the previous era is about 25 meters high, characterized by a mighty limestone base and part of a defensive system that was destroyed. In the thirteenth century this construction belonged to the noble family of Pileos, engaged in fights with Ezzelino da Romano.
Both castles were almost completely razed to the ground at the beginning of the sixteenth century by the Republic of Venice following the events related to the War of Lega di Cambrai, fearing they could fall into the hands of an enemy.
The fortifications were both the subject of restoration and renovation in 1930s with different outcomes:
- Romeo’s castle now hosts theatrical performances, film festivals and shows
- Juliet’s castle incorporates a restaurant, frescoed with scenes inspired by the tragic story of Romeo and Juliet featuring large panoramic terrace.
