Castello di Pappacota

The Castle of Pappacota, also known as "Castle of Pappagoda", is a place of historical interest located in Lacedonia, in Piazza Francesco De Sanctis.

The fortress owes its name to Ferdinando Pappacota who, in 1500, had it erected, giving it the name "Castello Nuovo" (New Castle) to distinguish it from the older one belonging to the Orsini family: the building, in fact, was built to the west of the then existing town centre, while today it is located in the centre of the town, to one side of the central square. With the abolition of feudal rights in 1806, the Castle was bought by the Onorato family and registered in the urban land register.

Originally conceived as a real fortress, equipped with three towers, cannon mouths, ditches, underground passages and other defensive elements, it has been damaged several times by earthquakes and, therefore, subjected to several restorations that have changed its appearance, today more similar to an aristocratic residence than a manor. Nevertheless, the Castle still retains all the merlons of the tower on the south side, many embrasures and the old well.

One of the historical symbols of the community of Lacedonia, the Castle of Pappagota has centuries of history, as can be seen from the traces of its original structure.