Castello di Conegliano (Castelvecchio)

Castelvecchio occupies Conegliano's Colle di Giano, where the surviving Torre della Campana rises above the city. The tower, public gardens and fragments of the medieval walls preserve the outline of the former rocca.

Why it matters

The castle is a landmark in Conegliano's history and landscape. The Torre della Campana served as the keep of the fortress, and its bell once summoned citizens to council. The surrounding gardens follow parts of the old wall circuit and open views from the Prosecco hills toward the Venetian lagoon.

What to notice

The tower preserves deep, flared loopholes and a room with a distinctive Venetian-style chimney. Small arched windows date to a fifteenth-century renovation. The Ghibelline merlons that crown the tower were added in the nineteenth century, giving the surviving medieval structure a later profile. The gardens retain sections of the old walls and the Bemba and Zacchi towers.

Context and history

The castle developed under Scaliger rule and was later modified during Venetian control. A collapse in 1491 led to rebuilding, and the tower was raised between 1847 and 1855. The hill acquired a more residential character with Villa Gera and a Romantic-style garden after the 1873 earthquake. The municipality began restoring the walls and buildings in the 1980s. Since 1946 the surviving tower has housed the city's collections.