Castiglione del Lago: Guide, Hotels, Map & Photos
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EUR 85 - 198 Palazzo Barbini
 Set in the heart of Castiglione Del Lago, Palazzo Barbini is 5 minutes´ walk from shore of Lake Trasimeno. It offers cosy accommodation featuri… MoreEUR 65 - 195 Locanda Poggioleone
 Locanda Poggioleone is in Pozzuolo, a 10-minute drive from Castiglione del Lago and Lake Trasimeno. It is immersed in nature and offers a garden and a… MoreEUR 70 - 190 Principe Del Trasimeno
 The ideal place to recover in peace and quiet, immersed with typical Mediterranean nature, the farmhouse is situated just in front of the Trasimeno La… MoreEUR 75 - 135 Residence Al Lago
 Residence Al Lago is just 100 metres from Lake Trasimeno and 250 metres from Castiglione del Lago´s historic centre. The residence features a la… MoreEUR 65 - 126 Residence Ranieri
 Set on the lakeshore, 100 metres from the most beautiful beach of Lake Trasimeno, Residence Ranieri offers a swimming pool and independent apartments … MoreEUR 55 - 100 Il Macchione
 Offering panoramic views across Lake Montepulciano, Il Macchione is a historic farmhouse right on the border between Umbria and Tuscany, one kilometre… MoreEUR 45 - 75 Hotel Trasimeno
 Enjoy an outdoor swimming pool and clean, simply furnished accommodation at Hotel Trasimeno, just a leisurely 15-minute walk from the city centre of C… MoreEUR 70 - 167 Country House Borgo Lacaioli
 Overlooking Lake Trasimeno, Country House Borgo Lacaioli offers self-catering accommodation, a swimming pool and a small farmyard with animals. Castig… MoreEUR 45 - 95 Hotel Aganoor
 Hotel Aganoor is in Castiglione del Lago historic centre, overlooking Lake Trasimeno and walking distance of the town’s castle. It offers a restaura… MoreEUR 50 - 105 Hotel Duca Della Corgna
 The Hotel Duca Della Corgna is surrounded by pleasant landscaped gardens and is set on the border of the two enchanting regions of Umbria and Tuscany.… MoreEUR 60 - 125 Hotel La Torre
 This boutique, family-run hotel is situated in the beautiful ancient center of Castiglione del Lago, a charming, picturesque village on Trasimeno Lake… MoreEUR 135 - 145 Achiaraluna
 Achiaraluna is an attractive farmhouse set on a hill overlooking Lake Trasimeno. It has extensive gardens with a swimming pool and barbecue, plus indi… More | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Castiglione del Lago: Guide
Castiglione del Lago is a town in the Province of Perugia of Umbria (Italy), on the southwest corner of Lake Trasimeno. Orvieto is 59 km south, Chiusi is 21 km to the west, Arezzo is 56 km to the north, Cortona is 21 km to the north and Perugia is 47 km to the north east.
Geography and urban structure
Castiglione del Lago has evolved on what used to be an island - the fourth island of Lake Trasimeno, in its south west region. Over the centuries, as the town grew, the flat gap between the island and the shore was filled with piazze, houses, churches and other buildings.
The newest parts of the city are at some distance from the old, so the centro storico (historical center) of Castiglione del Lago is a well preserved medieval locality that seems to be governed by a "law of threes". In the town walls there are three gates, and inside the town there are three piazze and three churches.
History
The Castiglione del Lago lies on the once important highway between Orvieto to the south, Chiusi to the west, and Arezzo to the north. Its position in this hotly disputed territory, pitting Etruscans against Romans, and later Tuscans against Perugians, inevitably brought a long cycle of death and destruction to the town. The original fortifications were destroyed and rebuilt on numerous occasions.
It was only during the reign of Emperor Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick II (early 13th century) that a period of relative stability ensued.
Later the city fell under the control of Perugia, within the Papal States, becoming the fiefdom of the powerful Baglioni family. In 1550, Pope Julius III bestowed it upon his sister. In 1563, her son, Ascanio della Corgna, became the Marquis of Castiglione and Chiusi. The fiefdom became a prosperous, but short-lived Duchy in 1617. Duke Fulvio Allesandro died without heirs and the town was re-absorbed into the Papal States.
Main sights
The Castello del Leone - the Fortress of the Lion - was built by Emperor Frederick II. The pentagonal-shaped castle, was completed in 1247 CE by the monk-architect Elia from Cortona. The castle features square towers in four of its corners and a triangular shaped bastion, or donjon, known as the Mastio in the other. The castle was designed to give its owners strategic control over all of Lake Trasimeno. The castle has withstood a number of sieges over the subsequent centuries.
The Palazzo del Comune (Town Hall) was built by Ascanio della Corgna in Renaissance style, designed by the architect Jacopo Barozzi da Vignola|Vignola. It is now a civic museum and gallery. The palazzo has by a long, covered corridor connecting to the castle. Renaissance era frescoes by the Pescara-born artist Giovanni Pandolfi and the Florentine artist Salvio Savini adorn the main floor inside. In 1574, the artist Niccolò Circignani, known as "Il Pomarancio", added paintings and other decorations to one of the most interesting rooms in the palazzo, the so-called Room of the Exploits of the overlord Ascanio della Corgna.
The only other building of particular note is the finely stucco-ed Church of Maria Maddalena de' Pazzi|Santa Maria Maddalena, done on a Greek-cross plan. The church has a neo-classical pronaos and, inside, a panel painted in 1580 by Eusebio da San Giorgio.
Festivals and events
Every two years, Castiglione del Lago is the host of the Coloriamo i Cieli festival. The "Color the Skies" event is held on no fixed date in late April or May.
Frazioni
Badia, Bertoni, Binami, Caioncola, Carraia, Casamaggiore, Castiglione del Lago Stazione, Ferretto, Fratavecchia, Gioiella, Macchie, Mugnanesi, Panicale Stazione, Panicarola, Petrignano del lago, Piana, Porto, Pozzuolo, Pucciarelli, Sanfatucchio, Vaiano, Villastrada, Vitellino.
External links
This "Travel Guide" section is drawn from the Wikipedia article "Castiglione del Lago". We hope you will edit and improve it. It is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.