A living document in the interior Campania, Italy: the Castle of Gesualdo

The aim of the present contribution is to take on a deep path of knowledge of the Castle of Gesualdo, a small town of the interior Campania region, in Southern Italy (figure 1), in order to offer useful insights on its enhancement. The castle stands on the top of a hill 697 meters high above sea level, it is northerly protected by a natural ridge on which the ancient Via Appia, linking Rome to Apulia region, transited, and it dominates the valleys of the rivers Fredane and Calore Irpino. The building is the core of the old town, that is a typical example of feudal architecture with a radiocentric plant. Its building process can be divided into several phases. The foundation of the primitive defensive watchtower dates back to the 7th century, during the Byzantine-Lombard wars. After several enlargements the fortress reached its definitive plant in the late 16th century thanks to Prince Carlo Gesualdo. The lord transformed the castle from a rude fortress into an elegant Renaissance palace: he created lodges, further floors, and decorated the main which an interesting and original hypothesis about the matrices that generated its design is here conducted. Before the recent earthquake of November the 23rd, 1980, which severely damaged Gesualdo, the castle underwent further transformations. The post-earthquake interventions, which are currently still in progress, have been aimed at the restoration and seismic improvement of the façade of its courtyard, of castle in the respect of the conservation principles and structural safety.