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History
The Renaissance and the Baroque period
The
Angioini dynasty was followed by that of the Aragonesi when, in 1442, the Kingdom of
Naples fell into the hands of Alfonso d'Aragona. L'Aquila's resistance was inefficacious
in trying to impede the transition of power, and it was subdued in 1492. After a brief
period of French domination, Abruzzo followed the fate of the Kingdom of Naples which had
passed into the hands of Ferdinando the Catholic in 1504. The struggles between
Ferdinando's successor, Carlo V, and the King of France, involved Abruzzo in numerous
serious military clashes. The cities of Abruzzo, and L'Aquila in particular, sided with
France but were drastically punished by the Spanish monarch who, by splitting up the rural
areas around the city and subjecting the latter to harsh repressive measures in 1529,
ordained a decline which was then impossible to stop.
Under
Spanish domination numerous fortification works were built. These were a testimony to the
strategic importance that Abruzzo had in the dispute between France and
Spain. The Spanish
entrusted the plans for such works, amongst which there were the Castle of L'Aquila, and
the Fortress of Pescara, to the architect, Pirro Luigi Scrivā, who was also responsible
for the Castel Sant'Elmo in Naples. Furthermore, the ancient castles were transformed from
simple defensive building into residences which were architecturally more
complex. One of
the most significant examples of this is the Celano Castle (Aq), which has a squared plan
and a precise geometric structure built around an arcade decorated with open
galleries;
however one must not forget either the Balsorano Castle (Aq), the Piccolomini Castle of
Ortucchio (Aq), and that of Gagliano Aterno (Aq).
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