Castiglione del Lago

The Lion's fortress on the lake

On a limestone promontory jutting out into the western shore of Lake Trasimeno, which was once an island, Castiglione del Lago is the most beautiful town on the lake, a medieval village enclosed by walls, with three gates and a straight main street lined with shops, restaurants and cafés, and splendid views of the water and the islands from every corner. In the Middle Ages its strategic position made it a coveted stronghold, contended between Perugia, Arezzo and Cortona, and in the sixteenth century it became the capital of a small marquisate of the Della Corgna family.

At the tip of the promontory rises the Rocca del Leone, the Lion's Fortress, a massive medieval fortress with an unusual pentagonal plan, built in the thirteenth century, perhaps on a design attributed to Brother Elias of Cortona, the follower of Saint Francis and architect of the Basilica of Assisi, with tall walls, battlements and a triangular keep. From the top of its walls the view over the lake is breathtaking. The fortress is connected by a long covered walkway, a raised passage along the walls, to the Palazzo della Corgna, the Renaissance residence of the marquises, whose rooms are decorated with sixteenth century frescoes by Niccolò Circignani, known as Pomarancio, with mythological scenes and the deeds of the condottiero Ascanio della Corgna. In summer, the fortress hosts concerts and events, and in spring the town celebrates the "Coloriamo i cieli" kite festival, which fills the sky with colourful kites. From the lakeside, boats leave for Isola Maggiore.

Tip: a single ticket covers the palace, the walkway and the fortress; watch the sunset over the lake from the fortress walls.

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