Castiglione del Lago

Castiglione del Lago is a small town of Etruscan origin located on a hilly promontory on the western shore of Lake Trasimeno. Because of its vast cultural, artistic and natural heritage, it is (like Norcia) part of the national ‘I Borghi più Belli d’Italia’ club.
The old town is surrounded by medieval walls with three gates called Fiorentina, Siena and Perugia. The Rocca del Leone bastion is one of the most interesting examples of Umbrian military architecture in the Middle Ages. Built in 1247 and designed by Friar Elia Coppi da Cortona, it is shaped like an irregular pentagon, with five towers and three gates, dominated by a triangular keep almost 30 meters tall. The rampart walk offers a splendid view of the lake, while the vast interior space is now used as a natural amphitheater.
Another building of great artistic value is the Corgna or Ducal Palace, built in 1560 by Ascanio della Corgna designed by Vignola or Galeazzo Alessi. It offers richly frescoed interiors by Niccolò Circignani (also known as ‘Pomarancio’) and Salvio Savini, which illustrate mythological scenes and Ascanio della Corgna’s mercenary endeavors, representing one of the region’s best examples of Mannerist painting.