Venafro

Venafro lies near the upper Volturno valley, where routes pass between the Apennine interior and the richer lowlands of southern Italy. Hills, cultivated ground, and access to water support a town with a long history of settlement. Olive growing and other agriculture connect local households with surrounding markets, while the position of the town gives it a role in movement through the mountain approaches.

The castle was rebuilt after the earthquake of 1349 and passed to the Pandone family in the fifteenth century. In the early sixteenth century Enrico Pandone transformed it into a Renaissance residence, adding a loggia and garden and commissioning paintings of his horses. The castle's position controlled an approach to the upper Volturno valley, linking noble residence with the defence of a route through southern Italy.