Castello di Baratonia: Medieval Fortified Center of a Viscounty
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.6
- Popularity
- Very Low
- Country
- Italy
- Primary era
- Medieval
- Eras represented
- Medieval
- Civilizations
- Duchy of Savoy
- Site type
- Military
- Remains
- Castle
On this page9 sections
History
Castello di Baratonia is a medieval fortified building in Italy, near Varisella, and was the center of the powerful Viscounty of Baratonia, a territorial lordship governed by the Baratonia family. The castle was first mentioned in 1090, although it probably stood for several decades before that date.
The Baratonia lordship
Later records show that ownership passed successively among members of the Baratonia family. During its approximately five centuries of use, the complex was repeatedly altered as its owners adapted it to changing needs. By the middle of the fourteenth century, the castle had probably ceased to serve primarily as a military stronghold and was being treated as a noble residence.
Shortly after the middle of the fourteenth century, fighting damaged the castle. The conflict involved the troops of Giacomo d’Acaia, a prince of the Savoy-Achaea dynasty, and those of Amedeo VI, Count of Savoy, known as the Green Count.
Abandonment and later investigation
In the mid-fifteenth century, Eleonora, the last heir of the Baratonia family, married Guglielmo d’Arcour. The family then moved its seat to Fiano, and Castello di Baratonia entered a gradual process of abandonment. For a time, the former castle was reused for agriculture and was partly converted into shelter for livestock.
Archaeological excavations and investigations carried out over several decades recovered objects from the castle area. These finds, together with surviving fragments of the chapel paintings, are preserved in the Antiquarium of Castello di Baratonia in Varisella’s municipal center, which opened in 2011.
Remains
The ruins, also locally known as Castlass, occupy a modest rise in a wooded area near Varisella’s southern boundary, close to the Baratonia hamlet. An outer enclosure surrounded the fortified complex and protected the hilltop. Within it were the central defensive and residential buildings, as well as a Romanesque chapel.
Fortified and residential structures
Outer enclosure
The outer enclosure formed the defensive boundary of the complex. It surrounded the rise and protected the buildings gathered within the castle area. Repeated renovations changed the arrangement of the enclosure and the structures inside it during the castle’s long period of use.
Keep
The central stronghold was a keep, the principal fortified tower of a castle. At Castello di Baratonia, it also provided residential space, combining the castle’s defensive core with the accommodation required by its noble occupants. The keep survives as part of the ruins.
Romanesque chapel
A Romanesque chapel stood inside the enclosure. Romanesque architecture is a medieval style known for massive construction, rounded arches, and robust forms. Its semicircular apse, the rounded end of the chapel, faced east. Paintings dating to the eleventh century decorated the interior, and surviving fragments are now displayed in the Antiquarium.
Archaeological finds
Excavation and archaeological investigation produced fifteenth-century tableware, other ceramic material, stone mortars, weapons, and various metal objects. The Antiquarium preserves these finds, which represent activities carried out at the castle during its later history. The complex itself remains in a ruined condition.
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