Description
The castle stands at an altitude of about 500 meters in the municipality of Deruta (Perugia) via della Libertà 2. It can be reached from Deruta by taking the scenic hill road called "via di Castelleone" about 4.5 km. away from the main town. It is a historic-artistic architectural monument dating from the 15th-16th centuries and is under the protection of the Superintendence for Artistic, Historical and Architectural Heritage of the Region of Umbria.
Location
Deruta's origins remain partly obscure. Certain, however, is its ancient link with Perugia, of which it has always been a valid bulwark to the south, toward Todi, a role to which its appearance as a fortified castle still bears witness. Perugia is about 20Km away as is its airport. Fiumicino airport (Rome) is about 185Km away.
Description
The Castle is' composed mainly of three original architectural cores representing three historical periods:
Medieval (dating back to the 12th century), traceable in the thick stone walls (even over 2.5 meters) that converge in the large and mighty Longobard Tower (about 36 meters high, square in shape and divided into five levels).
Renaissance (dating back to the 15th-16th centuries), which forms the main body of the Castle formed by its Main Keep or Main Tower of roundish shape (divided into five levels) and joined to the main core of the Castle proper.
Neo-Gothic (dating back to the 19th century), which represents that part of the building, united with the Renaissance core, facing the Inner Village and enclosing the Belvedere Tower at its top.
The interiors consist of seven suites-double bedrooms with the possibility of a third bed, each with large bathrooms or salle de bain equipped with the latest technology such as whirlpool tubs and showers with aroma-therapy, chromo-therapy, ozone-therapy, Turkish bath and radio. The suites are named Contessa, Dama Bianca, Borgia, Gotica, Vergini, Torre degli Sposi, Cavaliere. The master apartments arranged on two floors, have 4 double bedrooms with the possibility of a third bed (each with an independent bathroom equipped as above) called the Master Bedroom, Bishop's Room, Guest Room, Lady's Apartment. In the Longobard Tower are arranged on 4 levels other double rooms named Swan Bedroom, Lion Bedroom, Raven Bedroom and Templar Bedroom connected by a helical staircase. On the first level of the Longobard Tower are located 2 equipped bathrooms. In the Foresteria del Castello there are two rooms (one double and one single) with equipped bathrooms also for handicap use. In total, there are eighteen bathrooms considering the service one for the Museum Area (called the Grottino), the service one for the Dining Room, the one called the Pensile dello Studiolo located in the Padronali apartments and the service one adjacent to the Salone dei Cavalieri. The Property has three fully equipped kitchens: the Old Castle Kitchen (on the ground floor), the Mistress Kitchen (on the second floor of the Mistress apartments), the kitchen of the small apartment of the Lady of the Company (on the second floor of the Mistress apartments) On the ground floor there are numerous halls and reception rooms, including large ones such as the Great Hall of the Armigers (over 100 sq. m., the largest in the Castle), the Ancient Captains' Refectory, the Great Entrance to the Borgo and Renaissance Staircase, the Neo-Gothic Painted Hall, the Guard Room, the Hall of Arms, the Passage Room and Grottino, the Ancient Gallery and main entrance to the Castle, the Gallery and Collections Room, the Entrance Hall to the Park with the underlying Medieval underground passages leading to the Old Medieval Cistern that still exists, the Grand Renaissance Dining Room, the Old Castle Kitchen and the Old Chapel. Connected to the Great Castle Kitchen, a large enclosable porch with stained-glass windows leads to the two covered cloister rooms, which in turn connect with the Longobard Tower and its aforementioned rooms. A wide stone staircase leads to the Castle's Piano Nobile and the Countess, Borgia, Dama Bianca, Gothic and Virgin suites. From the Contessa and Borgia suites there is access to a large square panoramic terrace overlooking the Castle's Old Cloister and inner courtyard. From the Longobard tower there is external access to the great outer Esplanades of the Castle above the portico. From these a bold staircase carved into the stone puts one at the uncovered top of the Longobard Tower itself, which serves as a solarium. Also located on the Piano Nobile are the Golden Room, the Ancient Library, the Office and the Renaissance Room from which it is possible to enter the Castle's main Torre degli Sposi-Mastio divided into three levels: La Salle de Bain (fully frescoed), the Bridal Parlor and the aforementioned Torre degli Sposi suite. It is noteworthy how the entire Piano Nobile of the Castle of Castelleone, including the various connecting corridors, presents integrally wall and ceiling decorations in both tempera and fresco with geometric floral motifs, naturalistic motifs, gallant scenes, feudal military scenes, etc., always different in each room. From the Piano Nobile one enters the mentioned Knight's Hall and the Great Knights' Hall also entirely decorated in tempera on both ceiling and walls. From the latter large reception room an external covered staircase puts to the covered summit part of the Belvedere Tower from which there is a 360-degree panorama.
Outdoor Spaces
The overall perimeter of the Property is about 800 meters, encompassing three roads. The Castle is served by nine entrances, three of which are from the Park (with large cusped and automated wrought-iron gates), one from the inner courtyard, one directly from the Park located on the main facade of the Property, three from the inner Village on Via della Libertà, and one on the alley of the Olive Tree.
