| Acaia di Vernole is an exceptional example of a fortified village, built in the first half of the 16th century. Surrounded by walls with bastions, it has an almost square layout and is divided into insulae by a rigidly perpendicular street network, reflecting the ideal renaissance scheme of the city-fortress. It was built by Baron Gian Giacomo dell’Acaya, an expert in defensive techniques who had served under the emperor Charles V and was one of the most representative military architects in the Kingdom of Naples. The most impressive element in the system of fortifications is the castle, which however appears to have had a mainly residential function, as evidenced by decorative elements of a certain elegance. An example is the so-called nonagonal hall in which the cannon emplacement, embrasures and stone seating have delicately sculpted friezes with plant, animal and human motifs. |