A Renaissance castle above Lake Bracciano, famous for celebrity weddings
Dominating the town of Bracciano and the lake below, the Castello Orsini-Odescalchi is one of the finest Renaissance castles in Italy. It was built in the late fifteenth century by the Orsini family on an older fortress, with five round towers and a triangular courtyard, and passed in the seventeenth century to the Odescalchi princes, who still own it.
The visit leads through rooms frescoed by the brothers Zuccari and Antoniazzo Romano, with Renaissance furniture, armour, tapestries and an imposing armoury, and along the walkways on the walls, from which the view sweeps over the lake and the Sabatini hills. Several famous weddings have been celebrated in the castle, including that of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes in 2006.
Tip: the castle is often closed for private events, so check opening times in advance; the historic centre of Bracciano and the lakefront below are worth a stroll.
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