Castello d'Aquino

The D'Aquino Castle in Grottaminarda stands in a dominant position in the ancient village of "Fratta".

The original layout of this fortress, with an almost trapezoidal plan, dates back to the early Middle Ages and was extended around the first half of the 12th century with the installation of defensive walls. It belonged first to the D'Aquino family, from 1134 to 1531, when it was taken from them by Charles V, and then to various feudatory families, becoming a municipal property in 1988. 

Following the earthquakes of 1694 and 1732, part of the structure of the D'Aquino Castle became a stately home and several rooms were adapted: the first floor of the southern sector was used as a residential area and an area behind it was transformed into a sumptuous roof garden with a terrace, overlooking the suggestive panorama of the valley below, flourishing with vegetation. 
Despite the numerous restorations that have been carried out, some of the perimeter walls from the Aragonese period are still visible today, consisting of rows of bricks alternating with river pebbles or limestone, cemented with very hard mortar. 

The four towers also remain at the corners of the old defensive bulwark: three cylindrical and one square, all on an escarpment base, in order to give the manor greater defensive advantages. Remains of the Guelph crenellated crowning can still be admired at the top of some wall sections. The lower part of the structure houses the cellars, built inside an underground cave, and some barrel-vaulted passages.

Recently restored, D'Aquino Castle is home to the Antiquarium Museum and the "O. Sanini" Municipal Library and still shows the splendour of the past. A visit to the site is not to be missed, as it is the pride of the entire Ufita Valley and a testimony to the history of Grottaminarda.