Norman Swabian Castle of Morano Calabro

The Norman-Swabian Castle of Morano Calabro is one of the symbols of the historical centre, among The Most Beautiful Villages in Italy. Morano Calabro, in the province of Cosenza, is in the centre of the Pollino National Park and welcomes visitors like a small crib, also because of the presence of its castle. The Norman-Swabian Castle of Morano Calabro stands in a strategic position for the control of the Pollino and the Sibari Plain and has Roman origins. In the Middle Ages, during the Swabian period (13th century), the fortress underwent a series of important changes. Feudal seat and theatre of numerous episodes of arms, the Norman Swabian Castle of Morano Calabro is the protagonist of the War of the Vespro and of an episode linked to the imprisonment of Benvenuta, the ‘’Lady of Morano‘’, wife of the feudal lord.

In the 16th century, the Sanseverino family modified the structure on the model of the Maschio Angioino in Naples, calling in the most skilled craftsmen of the time. In the 18th century, the Norman-Swabian Castle of Morano Calabro was severely damaged by bombing by the French army, which contributed to reducing it to a state of ruin. The most recent restoration has restored the front towers, the perimeter walls and the esplanade at the back, restoring the building to the decorum that still makes it one of the village's most representative symbols.