Pandone Castle of Venafro (Italy)

The first nucleus of the castle is a megalithic structure, whose remains are visible at the base of the Longobardo mastio. The development of the fortified complex occurred in the second half of the tenth century; the Longobard count Paldefredo and his successors strengthened the fortress with the elevation of a quadrangular enclosure with at least two towers. With the advent of the Normans, the castle and the village suffered considerable damage due to the troops of King Roger II of Altavilla.

During the Angevin period a moat was built and the three large circular towers with a truncated conical base. In 1443, with the Aragonese, the castle passed to the Pandone family. Count Francesco commissioned the expansion of the moat and the construction of a crenellated embankment, while Enrico, at the beginning of the sixteenth century, transformed the structure into a residence, making the gallery, the garden, and the important pictorial decoration (1522 - 1527 ) depicting the best horses of his famous breeding.

After the beheading of Henry for treachery to Charles V, the fief passed to other families including the Lannoy, who made further changes to the architecture and decorations, accentuating the residential character of the castle.