Torre di Castelnuovo (Sagrado)

The Castronovo (now Castelnuovo) castle dates to 1150. First owned by a Bavarian vassal of the Church of Aquileia, it then passed to the Counts of Gorizia, eventually being granted to the Savorgnano family by the Republic of Venice.

The layout of the castle can be understood thanks to a small amount of remains and several antique drawings. It was arranged on two levels. The upper level included the main tower, square-shaped with walls 7 metres long and 1.45 metres wide, still standing, and a circle of walls; the perimeter of this level was circa 90 metres. Lower down from the castle there were the houses of the castle dwellers, protected by a second circle of walls. The entire complex, more or less oval-shaped, had a perimeter of circa 180 metres. The north and east side were completed with battlements, a trace of which can still be seen today; the west side was protected by a vertical rock face. Steps were carved into the rock leading to the upper enclosed area; the steps could only be reached by using a retractable ladder as was the custom at that time.