Doria Castle (Angri)

 interesting place, guildhall

The Castello Doria of Angri dates from medieval times and dominates the valley of the Sarno River in a strategic position.
Some notes presume the existence of the castle from 1290. In September of 1421, during the struggle for the succession on the throne of Naples between the Angioini (Angevines) and Aragonesi, the castle was attacked and destroyed by Braccio Forte da Montone.
It originally belonged to the marquis of Vasto, Alfonso D'Avalos, and then to the Carafa family. In 1612 the Doria family, a powerful noble family from Genoa acquired the fief of Angri, coming into possession of big farmsteads, palaces and the Castle of Angri.
In the course of the years, the fief of Angri had some lords, until it passed into the hands of the Doria who rebuilt the castle at the end of the 1700s, with its baroque architecture.
The Castle of Angri, since then called Doria, in the 1535 with Alfonso d' Avalos, has (maybe) also entertained King Carlo V within its walls.
The Castle has two big concentric towers, corresponding to a three-story building with two smaller towers at its exterior angles. One should note the monumental staircase, the hall with wall paintings, the cells, and outside the tower, the moat and the drawbridge. the castle has two concentric towers, the external one was built during the renaissance period, while the inside one, a bit taller, represents the old nucleus of the building. The moat that still surrounds the castle was, very probably, built during the renaissance.
It is difficult to date exactly when the Castello was first built, but only over the course of the centuries has it assumed its current appearance. The origin of its history is tied to the strategic position of the piece of real estate. But the fact that it was constructed on a nearly level zone, leaves us to presuppose that the Castello was part of a more complex defensive system. From historic descriptions and accounts, it becomes clear that the building has endured numerous modifications and adaptations to several architectural styles over time.
Rebuilt between the XVIII and XIX centuries today it is the Municipio (town hall). The antique garden has become the town park.
The Castle was purchased by the Comune in 1908 for £ 90,000 (that is 90,000 lire) to use as the office of town government. Because of the earthquake of 1980 the Castle was declared unfit for use, and only in 1988, after a job of restoration lasting four years, it could return to being the municipal building.