Castello di Maniago

On 12 January 981 Emperor Otto II granted ownership of the castle of Maniago (“cortem que vocatur Maniacus”) to Rodoald, Patriarch of Aquileia. The castle was probably very large and included the residence of the Maniago family, a separate residence for the Patriarch, three towers and various curtain walls. The Maniagos, which were first mentioned in 1195, were frequently involved in harsh battles with other feudal lords. In 1216 the castle was unsuccessfully besieged by the troops of Ezzelino da Romano and Vercellone da Camino, and later by the armies of Enrico di Prampero ans Gualtierpertoldo da Spilimbergo. In 1337 their ownership of the estate (including the castle, the fortification and the village) was ratified by the Patriarch, Bertram de Saint Geniès. In 1386 the Maniagos lost their possessions because of contrasts with the Patriarch, Philippe d’Alençon, but regained them in 1393 when they were reinstated by the new Patriarch, Jan V of Moravia. Destroyed by a disastrous earthquake in 1511, the castle was eventually abandoned in the early 17th century.