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The castle of Strassoldo di Sopra is part of an ancient medieval village, inhabited for over a thousand years by the Counts of Strassoldo. Still furnished with antiques and ancestral paintings, it is surrounded by centuries-old gardens, crossed by spring watercourses, full of flowers (old and English roses), as well as rare herbs and majestic trees.

Castello di Sopra develops around the main tower of the VI century, partially destroyed in the XIX century, but still standing some 40 ft high. Annexed there’s the noble abode, several service buildings (once used for agriculture and local administration) and the Church of Saint Nicolò, which still retains a Longobard stone cross in the centre of the village.

The castle was demolished in 1381 by the patriarch Philip of Alençon, to reaffirm the dominion of Aquileia on that very stretch of land.
Looting and devastation ruined the fortified complex and the residences in the early XVI century, but the buildings were then restored in the following three centuries, with overlaps, additions and further demolitions.

Until the 1900s, the Castle was in very poor conditions and many buildings in the village had collapsed (like the houses of the armourers, the neighbourhood, the rice hut and the tower) and the gardens were completely abandoned.
The new owners then decided to renovate the whole complex, which is now opened to the public on very special occasions to promote further renovations.

Just outside the “Cistigna” gate, there is an XII century mill, which has remained active with its original gears, for over seven hundred years.

A truly enchanting garden develops around the Castle. It was built in the mid-XVIII century, and it’s crossed by spring watercourses, full of flowers (old and English roses), rare herbs, and majestic trees, including a three centuries-old Magnolia grandiflora.

Today, the Castle is not usually open to visitors, but it is possible to rent both the main body of the manor and other portions of the complex. In addition, twice a year – in spring (Palm weekend) and in autumn (second to last weekend of October) – both the Strassoldo di Sopra Castle and the Castello di Sotto, adjacent, but owned by different landlords, participate to the weekends of “Open Castles”.

In addition, in April and October two exclusive market exhibitions are held there: “Flowers, Waters and Castles” in Spring, “Fruits, Waters and Castles” in Autumn.
On both occasions, the manors and the village are decorated with splendid displays of flowers, leaves and fruits.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)