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Ducal Castle of Corigliano Rossano (CS) Italy

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Ducal Castle of Corigliano Rossano (CS) Italy

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The Ducal Castle of Corigliano Calabro, built in 1073 at the behest of the Norman King Roberto il Guiscardo, is a historical-artistic museum in which it is possible to take a dip in the past retracing the historical phases of our territory from the Middle Ages up to the days of today. The structure also represents an impact setting for hosting wedding receptions, gala evenings, conferences, manifestations and events.

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The main entrance is connected to the castle by two slender drawbridges which guarantee access to the fort. Also before entering the castle you can see a slab of pierta engraved with the dates of those who owned the Ducal Castle from 1073 to today.
The original drawbridge was completely made of wood and had a sturdy chain system for its handling.
Above the heavy iron door, you can see the coat of arms of the last family that owned the manor: the rampant Lion of the Companions.

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It is a building detached from the Castle and is located on the opposite side of the drawbridge.
Its construction dates back to the works of 1490 commissioned by Ferdinando I Aragona had a purely defensive function as an additional garrison to protect the main entrance and the moat.
The ravelin has a second entrance from the moat which leads to a large hall / stable where a manger and iron rings to tie the horses are still visible today.
The lack of defensive needs convinced the Baron Companion to convert the building into "offices" from which to administer the possessions and collect the taxes. Today it is home to part of the mighty "Companion Archive", a large well-preserved collection of all the administration of the family from 1507 to 1968.

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The Piazzale delle Armi was born as the last defensive bulwark of the Castle: its military connotation is evident from the presence (now walled) of a trap door on the floor that connected it directly to the "Santa Barbara" the ammunition depot that was on the mezzanine floor.
The majestic staircase was built in the mid-1600s by the Saluzzo dukes, while before, to facilitate the defensive action, there were two simple inclined ramps.
In 1799 following the sinking of the brief experience of the Neapolitan Republic, appointed following the I Campagna of Italy, some revolutionaries and republicans were executed in the Piazzale.

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The two ladies of the castle: Mrs. Famine and Mrs. Abundance.
These are two nineteenth-century terracotta statues that welcome guests along the staircase leading to the Piano Nobile.
The statue of the Famine in reality probably should have represented "the Hospitality", but the popular tradition, perhaps for the simplicity of its clothes or for contrasting the other statue, attributed this sad meaning to it.
The terracotta representing the abundance, on the other hand, is characterized by a particular richness of the clothes and care of the hairstyle, and is intent on pouring out a cornucopia full of all kinds of wealth in front of the observer.
famine

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Large square of the  Arms prepared for banquets

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The Chapel of Sant'Agostino is from the second half of the seventeenth century and was built by the will of Agostino Saluzzo. The structure is reminiscent of the Sanctuary of the Brown Madonna of Schiavonea. The frescoes on the walls reproduce the scenes from the Old Testament of Varni, restored to their original splendor after the pink painting that had covered them for years.

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In the Baron's bedroom there is a large dark wood fireplace supported by twisted columns, decorated with a frieze rich in flora and fauna images in the center of which is the Compagna coat of arms, with the usual rampant lion.
The baron's large bed has a headboard in gilded wood and brocade fabric and dates back to the late 1800s.
A large canvas more than 3 meters high depicts the Ascension of Christ "attributed by many to G.B. Gaucci known as "il Baciccio", a well-known Genoese painter who lived in the second half of the 1600s.
The Baron's room is also called "Sala degli Stemmi" and "Sala verde", in the first case because of the coats of arms of the noble families that were painted on the ceiling, while "green" was the color of the wallpaper that covered the room, removed during restorations.

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The top of the Mastio Tower, on the fourth and fifth level. The fourth floor is located in the upper part of the octagonal tower and has no external exits. However, the panorama can be enjoyed from the large windows in iron and real polychrome that open on each of the eight sides.
The walls are green and also have a high plinth painted with geometric motifs, unfortunately not well preserved. On the top of the walls a band divided into 56 segments in which coats of arms alternating with the same geometric design are depicted. The ceiling has not been completely preserved, but it is still possible to observe the paintings of monochrome figures seated on the throne at the corners, surrounded by complex floral decorations.

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The BARONE Compagna study preserves the original nineteenth-century furniture, including the wooden desk and bookcases, which were to contain part of the Family Archive now preserved in the Rivellino. Above the wardrobes there is a fragment of the painted wallpaper that adorned the ceiling of the Baroness' bedroom, depicting the birth of Venus from the waters, probably painted by Girolamo Varni.
On the opposite wall there are a series of fine Saint-Non prints that reproduce Corigliano and vintage maps. It is also possible to observe two paintings behind Luigi Compagna's desk: these are the portraits of parents Giuseppe Compagna and Isabella Cavalcanti, to whom the Saluzzo family ceded the Castle.

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In the bathroom there are two marble basins, each made of one piece, and to each basin correspond two large jets of water, cold in one, and hot in the other.
A tub is entirely in Carrara marble (obtained from a single block) while the two wooden toilets are reproductions.

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bagno privato situato sotto stanza cinese

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The FOSSATO, like the rest of the Castle, has undergone many changes over the centuries while still maintaining its main vocation, that is to isolate the Manor. In 1490 Ferdinand II made a first strengthening by making it wider and deeper without inserting the water.
The most radical transformation is due to the Compagna family: The north side was ceded to the municipality and transformed into today's Via Tricarico, concealing the ancient Saluzzo stables; the rest was transformed into a wonderful botanical garden with rare and exotic plants and trees, bird cages and fountains. This transformation into a precious garden gave the moat the name still used today "Villa Compagna".

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The keep or main tower represents the emblem of the Castle of Corigliano. Located to the left of the drawbridge, it is divided into four floors. The Mastio at the base maintains its original shape, built as a detached body of the castle and to which it was connected by means of a drawbridge. Only in 1720 was the bridge demolished and a stable passage was built in its place. About 30 meters high and from main tower it has been transformed into the luxurious tower of Roberto il Guiscardo, above all in the octagonal tower above it, commissioned instead by Agostino II Saluzzo. The ground floor is decorated with monochromatic geometric frescoes.

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Through the helicoidal staircase we reach the THIRD LEVEL OF THE MASTIO TOWER: it is the first inside the octagonal tower built by Agostino II Saluzzo, while the decorations we see are due to Girolamo Varni and Baron Compagna.
The eight walls are blue with a high plinth painted in geometric patterns. On each of them there is a large window of iron and polychrome glass that opens onto a crenellated terrace that covers the entire circumference of the tower.
The ceiling, on the other hand, is richly frescoed: in addition to the central painted rose window surrounding the staircase, in correspondence of the eight sides, medallions alternate with the allegories of the four cardinal virtues and depictions of scenarios of history and classical mythology.
The four cardinal virtues are Prudence, Temperance, Fortitude and Justice. The iconographies represented here are not the usual ones (generally they are embodied by female figures). For example, we are used to seeing Justice generally depicted with a globe, or a phoenix, a balance or blindfolded eyes, while here is a winged figure with a crown of thorns with three roses and two chains on his feet, one of gold and an iron one almost to indicate the conscious acceptance of the penalty.
The other four medallions tell stories that have something to do with the 4 Virtues, such as the legend of Muzio Scevola, a Roman hero who punished himself for killing a scribe instead of the hated Etruscan king Porsenna. Captured and placed before the king, he admitted his guilt and to punish himself put his hand on the fire and let it burn.

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The CORRIDOR OF ARMS has existed since the 1800s, that is, by the imposing renovation and embellishment works desired by the Companion Barons: in fact, until the end of the 18th century, the Throne Room was accessed directly from the Piazzale delle Armi. The main entrance from the square is via a modern wooden door, inserted with the restorations of the nineties to replace the leaded polychrome glass door similar to that of access to the Mastio Tower, which is the original one.
In front of the entrance there is a large wooden hatbox with 16 compartments, culminating in the Compagna coat of arms with the usual rampant lion. Above the hatbox are a series of Napoleonic rifles.
The walls are adorned with two large neoclassical canvases by Raffaele Aloisio dating back to 1848: "The presentation of Jesus in the temple" and "The adoration of the magi", which originally had a stucco frame that was lost.

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The spiral cast iron staircase consisting of 134 steps was built in 1870 by masters of the Neapolitan school. Even today, only the staircase is considered one of the most beautiful works in Europe, composed at that time and with that material. The ladder allows you to move along the various 4 levels of the tower and admire closely the works and frescoes on the walls, made by the Florentine painter Girolamo Varni, in the 19th century. The plan of the crusades is so well known for the frescoes that show scenes of knights and dramatic battles.

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One of the works that leaves all visitors of the Ducal Castle speechless is certainly the wonderful ceiling of the Hall of Mirrors with its paintings.
Let's start with the golden frieze that runs all around the perimeter, created with the trompe l'oeil technique (deceives the eye): two-dimensional paintings that thanks to the use of perspective rules give the illusion of being in 3D. In this case the artist wanted to replicate with a "simple" painting on a flat surface, a continuum of white statues of dancing girls interrupted only by the coat of arms of the Compagna family at the 4 corners of the room. The style is a clear reference to the neoclassical taste (see eg Canova)
The actual ceiling is entirely occupied by a single painting called "the Stage of Life", also made in 1870 by Ignazio Perricci. The composition portrays a group of Coriglianese commoners looking out onto a balcony, in the act of looking ecstatic at the pomp of the Hall below them, revealed to them by the raising of a golden cloth. The effect is powerful and realistic, thanks to the trompe l'oeil technique that gives depth and three-dimensionality to the painting. The perspective of the balcony is open on a blue night sky, made even more precious by fragments of mirror set in the plaster to remember the glow of the stars.

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The BARONE Compagna study'S preserves the original nineteenth-century furniture, including the desk and the wooden bookcases, which were to contain part of the Family Archive now preserved in the Rivellino. Above the wardrobes is exposed (transferred to a rigid support), a fragment of the painted wallpaper that adorned the ceiling of the Baroness' bedroom, depicting the birth of Venus from the waters, probably painted by Girolamo Varni.
On the opposite wall there are a series of fine Saint-Non prints reproducing Corigliano and vintage maps. It is also possible to observe two paintings behind Luigi Compagna's desk: these are the portraits of his parents Giuseppe Compagna and Isabella Cavalcanti, to whom the Saluzzo family ceded the Castle.

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Visit to the Ducal Castle with pupils, parents and pupils.
We are all grouped together in the Hall of Mirrors.

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The prison is located under the tower which also houses the Chapel of Sant'Agostino, and can only be accessed through a deep and narrow stone staircase.
Inside there are also instruments of torture, such as a pillory and a spiked chair in wood and iron.
During the 19th century, with the Compagna barons, the prisons lost their primary function and were converted to a "fresh" pantry for food.
The ancient prisons were located underground, or in any case in cold and humid places.
The "figuro" in the picture is a mannequin representing a Carmelite monk, who seems to have been imprisoned here for a couple of years, a few centuries ago.

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THE BARONESS ROOM is also called the "Venus Room" for the painted wallpaper that decorated the ceiling: the central panel depicted the birth of Venus from the water, surrounded by female figures and satyrs, while around it architectural structures and planters painted with the trompe l'oeil technique. Part of this card is exposed in the Baron's study.
Here on the walls we can instead see part of the paintings that adorned the ceiling of the "Sala di Apollo" instead: a detail of the horses that tow the chariot of the Sun, and another with two divine figures.
On the top of the wardrobe and the two nineteenth-century mirrors stands the rampant lion symbol of the Companions, original of the time is also the dressing table with mirror also inlaid wood.
Older, probably eighteenth-century, a small wooden rocking cradle, which is located at the foot of the wrought iron canopy bed.

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The Chinese Room has this name because of the wallpaper painted with scenes of oriental life with which it was richly decorated. Some fragments better preserved and transferred to wooden supports are still on display. In the room you can see a carved walnut wardrobe and a huge mirror with a gilded wooden frame.
In 1891 the Companion Barons had the honor of hosting Vittorio Emanuele III, the future King of Naples visiting Corigliano, and they adapted this room as a bedroom for the prince, even building a wonderful private bathroom on the floor below connected to the room by a dedicated staircase, and which we will discuss better tomorrow.

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The living room is also called "SALA DI APOLLO" because of the Baroque paintings that adorned the ceiling.
The center of the room is occupied by a large round table finely inlaid with an alabaster centerpiece.
On the right wall there is a large canvas depicting "San Girolamo Penitente". The pictorial composition also includes the skull, a symbol of penance, and the lion.

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The kitchens date back to the 19th century, they are called so precisely because the rooms are those set up by the Barons Compagna in the 19th century, with the gigantic cast iron kitchen with 10 burners and even a system of pipes that using the heat from the fires provided the water hot directly on the central level: a real rarity for those times!
On the walls there are also 2 wood-fired ovens, a barbecue and even a freight elevator, which connected the kitchen to the above dining room!
The kitchen is a work of Raffaele Von Arx (Naples), while the heavy copper pots come from the masters of Montmartre, in France
The kitchen has a pull-out compartment for cooking 74 eggs all together.

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In the lunchroom there is a baroque fireplace in Carrara marble decorated with floral motifs and with the upper shelf supported by two putti.
The two large canvases (204x247 cm) that fill the walls of the Hall refer to the Neapolitan School of the 1600s, but are anonymous. The paintings tell scenes from "Gerusalemme Liberata" the poem written by Torquato Tasso for the Este family at the end of the 16th century and tells of the First Crusade.
In particular, the first painting is "Arrival of Erminia among the shepherds", a very widespread subject and also taken up by artists known as Guercino. Ermina's iconography is what is noted in many paintings with the same subject: Erminia with the complete armor that reaches a bucolic and pastoral environment. The composition is clearly divided in half: on one side Erminia, detached from the rest of the figures, also isolated from the celestial cloak that surrounds it and completely extraneous to the rest of the environment, in the act of asking for a group of shepherds and animals " piled up ”in the other half of the painting. The pictorial composition of the second painting "Erminia among the Shepherds" is clearly different, where the heroine now appears completely integrated in the countryside, surrounded by animals of which she seems to be the shepherd. The armor is gone, and with her her heroic and courageous false identity, showing a fragile and tormented woman.

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View of the Ducal Castle at the time of Covid-19

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View of the Ducal Castle at the time of Covid-19

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A small gesture to remind us that we are all part of a large community, and that even when we are put to the test we know how to react by respecting the rules, and with a great desire to start again. Let's hold on, friends!
🌈🇮🇹 #andratuttobene

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The Hall of Mirrors is the representation room par excellence, the largest and most richly decorated in the whole Castle. The Hall takes its name from the huge mirrors that adorn the walls, while before the renovation Compagna was known as the "Throne Room".
The floor we see today is a Venetian beaten laid during the restoration works of the nineties to replace the damaged original carpet, which was light in color with floral designs.
The furnishings are all original, from the shaped sofas on the perimeter of the hall to the overlying painted wooden planters, behind which the high mirrors stand up to the ceiling, only partially covered by long brocades draped in precious golden warping. The frames, in gilded stucco, both of the mirrors and of the 6 doors, such as the ridge frieze on the wall, are also precious.