The Oldest Castle In Italy - Castello Eurialo

Rosie

Rosie

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Apr 6, 2013
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I finally found it! I think.... or at least I hope :D The oldest castle in Italy is (probably) the Eurialo Castle: I'm not really a castle enthusiast (like @Aurelia heheh), but I do enjoy visiting them if I'm given the chance :)

So, after doing some online research (because asking around wasn't any help, nobody knows which is the oldest castle in Italy!), I came up with the Castle of Euralio.

The interesting part is that it was built 400 years before Christ (construction began in 402 BC and ended in 397 BC), so the castle is almost 2,500 years old (!!). Well, they're mostly ruins, it's not really a castle per se, but it's still a very important part of history.

The sad part (for me) is that it's all the way down in Sicily! Bummer... if it was closer to the North I would have visited it ASAP :) It'll have to wait until I get to Sicily, preferably in this lifetime :)
 
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Well, this is very interesting!! A 2500 year-old castle! Incredible. I didn't even know that castles were built then - I mean, it was more of a medieval thing, but I guess that these things do happen. 400 years BC.... so incredible - I am so sad that it's in ruins, but things this old usually are. History tried to survive, but in most cases, does not succeed.

Well, maybe one day you'll visit Sicily after all. Find some time to visit this little remnant of past in between the beaches and sandy shores....
 
Now this is what I'd had in mind when I'd said that castles are medieval buildings - this is something reminiscent of the towers which I'd seen built in Scotland in the dark ages, but that way years before castles. Castles were usually motte and bailey type, in the beginning, and then expanded, but their construction usually came in the later periods with more developed technologies (such as that in the medieval times) - consider cathedrals and their size. They too were built later on (I mean in the magnificence), even though Christianity had existed from approximately AD 30.

Thank you for finding this.
 
Not really much of a castle but I guess it's considered one. I viewed the pictures from your link and thought I would see something spectacular. This must have been one of the first castles, before they started building them to look like a fortress.
 
Hermann said:
https://www.google.it/search?hl=it&......1ac.1.58.img..0.7.840.R8o4MmxfEL0#imgdii=_

Nuraghi: they were built everywhere in Sardinia starting from 1800 BC.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the link to the pictures, and what an interesting thread!
I was unfamiliar with the word Nuraghi, let alone its existence on the island of Sardinia.
Such a cool example of so many megalithic constructions, promoted me to take a closer look.
And found some more images of from what I gathered the remains are circular defensive towers
This one is my favorite because it shows such a close up view.


57b94e10e0487a55f335d74828e9ab80.webp


One of article estimated there to be about 7000, and 200 excavated.
Pretty amazing indeed!
 
So many of them: I would have never imagined that was so. As I´d already said, castles and fortresses were more of a "medieval-thing" , megaliths and similar structures were from earlier. I had expected burial mounds or something like that, but not a fortress. It does look fantastic. I can´t wait to see how many will be found in future.

P.S. Do you know whether the strones are just put together or is there something gluing them together? I was looking at the photo and trying to guess, haha. I believe Pyramids were built just by piling stones up, no?
 
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sallymarie said:
Thanks for the link to the pictures, and what an interesting thread!
I was unfamiliar with the word Nuraghi, let alone its existence on the island of Sardinia.
Such a cool example of so many megalithic constructions, promoted me to take a closer look.
And found some more images of from what I gathered the remains are circular defensive towers
This one is my favorite because it shows such a close up view.


View attachment 1911

One of article estimated there to be about 7000, and 200 excavated.
Pretty amazing indeed!
Click to expand...

Holy crap. That looks insane! Could you go inside?
 
Aurelia said:
So many of them: I would have never imagined that was so. As I´d already said, castles and fortresses were more of a "medieval-thing" , megaliths and similar structures were from earlier. I had expected burial mounds or something like that, but not a fortress. It does look fantastic. I can´t wait to see how many will be found in future.

P.S. Do you know whether the strones are just put together or is there something gluing them together? I was looking at the photo and trying to guess, haha. I believe Pyramids were built just by piling stones up, no?
Click to expand...

From what I have gathered, no grout. It was the dry stone method.
Right, megaliths.

sammien94 said:
Holy crap. That looks insane! Could you go inside?
Click to expand...

Not sure, but is a historical attraction. If you find out, let me know. ;) Or, if I find out, I will let you know.
Kind of looks like you can from this picture. At least, at one time you could.

4e1e2197e192fa57e0c1867d4e2117ad.webp





Hermann said:
http://www.castellidelducato.it/castellidelducato/castello.asp?el=castello-di-torrechiara

Have this one near home.
Some years ago Fairport Convention held a concert in this castle, wonderful.
Click to expand...

You are fortunate! Thanks for sharing! Did you attend the concert?


=====

I had a good time doing some research on this subject both the structures and the people/civilization.
Here is a good starting point for anyone interested.

http://www.philipcoppens.com/nuraghe.html
 
sallymarie said:
From what I have gathered, no grout. It was the dry stone method.
Right, megaliths.
Click to expand...

It´s such a wonder that the stone sticks. I´ve always thought about it and earlier, I considered it unstable and unsafe,but all of the older buildings are still standing! It´s such a contradiction. Dry stone and yet safe and sound. Incredible.

The inside looks like a tunnel.
You can find the inside of a burial mound here: http://www.google.de/imgres?imgurl=...=1476&page=2&start=12&ndsp=15&ved=0CEgQrQMwDQ

It´s only with bigger stones, but I found it a little similar to this one.
 
Aurelia said:
It´s such a wonder that the stone sticks. I´ve always thought about it and earlier, I considered it unstable and unsafe,but all of the older buildings are still standing! It´s such a contradiction. Dry stone and yet safe and sound. Incredible.

The inside looks like a tunnel.
You can find the inside of a burial mound here: http://www.google.de/imgres?imgurl=http://www.londontoolkit.com/Images/avebury_west_kennett_longbarrow.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.londontoolkit.com/whattodo/avebury_west_kennet_longbarrow.htm&h=361&w=481&tbnid=NavL_R-aF5n3VM:&zoom=1&docid=6dtSCtgUX5k9XM&ei=_uY5VaXyLcn9ygO2nYDACA&tbm=isch&iact=rc&uact=3&dur=1476&page=2&start=12&ndsp=15&ved=0CEgQrQMwDQ

It´s only with bigger stones, but I found it a little similar to this one.
Click to expand...

Yes, the constructions built in this fashion are absolutely amazing!
My favorite thing to do, when I come across buildings made of stones, is to touch them.
I don't know why, exactly, but it kind of feels like I can connect on some level with the builders. lol
Thanks for the link.
Have you visited?
 
sallymarie said:
Yes, the constructions built in this fashion are absolutely amazing!
My favorite thing to do, when I come across buildings made of stones, is to touch them.
I don't know why, exactly, but it kind of feels like I can connect on some level with the builders. lol
Thanks for the link.
Have you visited?
Click to expand...

I also like to touch the stones! Somehow it does make you feel a part of that long forgotten world. I once visited tunnels built some few thousand years ago (dry stone method as well) and touching the stones was... an experience I won´t forget soon. I had also had the opportunity to touch the megaliths. It was incredible. Somehow you feel... connected.

I haven´t visited West Kennett (yet), but I plan on doing so very soon. It´s on my "history tour" list (Stonehenge, Avebury, Beacon Hill, East Kennett...).

Back on the topic: How tall is the building? It seems very tall...
 
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Aurelia said:
I also like to touch the stones! Somehow it does make you feel a part of that long forgotten world. I once visited tunnels built some few thousand years ago (dry stone method as well) and touching the stones was... an experience I won´t forget soon. I had also had the opportunity to touch the megaliths. It was incredible. Somehow you feel... connected.

I haven´t visited West Kennett (yet), but I plan on doing so very soon. It´s on my "history tour" list (Stonehenge, Avebury, Beacon Hill, East Kennett...).

Back on the topic: How tall is the building? It seems very tall...
Click to expand...

Good bucket list!

I have no idea how tall the nuraghi is that I posted above. Although, I did read from this article http://www.philipcoppens.com/nuraghe.html one of the largest complex's has a nuraghi with a central tower reaching 21 meters. Apparently thought to be used as royal residence?

And, yes, these megaliths and others are supper intriguing.
 
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