CastelBrando, Cison di Valmarino, Italy

CastelBrando, former Castrum Costae, is a medieval castle situated on a dolomite limestone rock overlooking the villages of Cison di Valmarino and Valmareno. The name CastelBrando is due to the name Brandolini, the ancient family from Forlì, who were the Lords of the castle.

CastelBrando was originally built in the Roman age as a defensive fortress in order to protect the important lines of communication which connected Northern Italy to the countries on the other side of the Alps. The original castrum, dating from 46 AD is still visible today. The original Roman baths have also been excavated, as have the original pipes of the aqueduct which supplied water from three nearby natural springs. These springs still provide water for the castle today.

During the European Migration Period the fortress became an important defensive position against barbarian invasions. Over the centuries the castle has been subject to numerous enlargements and renovations. During the 13th century the castle was substantially enlarged while under the ownership of the Da Camino family. Their architectural additions included surrounding the castle with imposing Guelph-Ghibelline style battlements and building a central tower.

The Castle's ownership then passed over to the Republic of Venice. After the fall of Venetian Republic in 1797, it was passed down through the family of Giovanni Brandolino and became the property of the Brandolini Counts, an ancient family from Forlì. In the first half of the 16th century Antonio Maria Brandolini (1476–1522), commissioned skilled engineers to enlarge the central part of the castle in Sansovino style, adding Venetian Gothic double and triple mullioned windows. In 1700 the Brandolini family commissioned Ottavio Scotti, architect and Count of Treviso, to design and build an extension to the southern part of the castle. Part of these works included the building of a castle chapel, the Church of San Martino. The chapel was decorated internally with frescoes painted by Egidio Dall'Oglio (18th century).

During World War I, the castle was invaded by Imperial Austrian forces and used as a military hospital. After 10 years of restoration work, financed by Count Girolamo IV Brandolini (1870–1935), the castle was re-opened as a place of residence in 1929. CastelBrando has now been extensively restored and now houses a 4-star hotel, museum and a theatre. Visitors can get up to the castle by funicular railway from the village.

References:

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User Reviews

Tibor M. Kovacs (4 months ago)
So even I gave only for for the rooms and service I gave 5 for all the experience. It is so romantic and unusual that the minor problems do not matter. I think among the castle hotels this is the most authentic I have ever been to. You really can feel the middle ages when you look out of the balcony. Typical place where you can come only for the experience without any other reason.

Румина Стоянова (5 months ago)
We stayed at the hotel for one night and we are sure we will come back someday for more! Just as you arrive you come across this beautiful castle with romantic lights and great view. The receptionists were very friendly and showed us to our room. They made us a reservation at the hotel restaurant and even offered us different options if we didn’t want to dine in at theirs. We are happy we chose their restaurant because it was cozy, delicious and the waiters were great professionals. Our waitress was really nice and offered us great dishes.

montyjoel (6 months ago)
We had a wonderful experience at CastelBrando. We found all of the staff to be warm and accommodating. First class experience. The Rooms were well appointed and the beds comfortable. We explored the castle and enjoyed the bar. We look forward to a future stay. Highly recommend!

chit snow (6 months ago)
We celebrated our wedding at castle Brando. Everything went great and perfect! We had delicious foods, serving was superb and the view from castle Brando was amazing! The staff were impeccable!

Zlatko Bajić (7 months ago)
We stayed in the classic double room for 2 nights. Everything was fine. The room was clean, great service, reception is open 24/7. Breakfast was very good (not so many options to choose from, but everything was fresh and tasty). There are 2 parking options: garage right next to hotel entrance (12 € per night) or the free open parking at the foot of the castle). You can use your hotel card at the elevator to go up/down as much as you want. As a guest, you can also visit some parts of the castle not available to public and you have a small discount at the spa facilities.

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