Castello di Gagliano Aterno

The castle of Gagliano Aterno was constructed between the late 12th century and early 13th century by the Berardi, known as the Counts of Marsi, once they came into possession of the County of Celano in 1143, to which the fief belonged. It was expanded in 1328 by Countess Isabella d'Aquino. and later the Celano family. Specifically, the castle primarily followed the lineage of Odorisio of Ocre, son of Offreduzio, The fief of Gagliano Aterno, along with the castle, passed the following year to Antonio Piccolomini d'Aragona, who repaired it and added two defensive walls. The castle is used as a private residence, but parts of the ground floor are open to visitors. == Architecture ==

The castle is characterized by two rings of walls: the inner one is accessible via a drawbridge that crosses a moat. At the corners, there are three cylindrical towers for reinforcement, along with a polygonal tower. Beyond the battlements, the residential palace unfolds, consisting of several buildings arranged around an inner courtyard equipped with a well and surrounded by a portico and a small loggia on the first floor, accessible by an open staircase. During the transformation of the castle into an aristocratic residence, the windows were enlarged, and a two-level loggia overlooking the town below was created, with pointed arches in the inner courtyard and round arches on the first floor. ==References==