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Photo: Twice25 & Rinina25, CC BY 2.5 · Wikimedia Commons
Castle
Duino Castle
Building in Duino-Aurisina, Italy
At a glance
- Type
- Castle
- Style
- Medieval architecture
- Protection
- Italian national heritage
- Coordinates
- 45°46′18″ N, 13°36′14″ E
- Address
- Frazione Duino, 32
History and description
Duino Castle (Italian: Castello di Duino, German: Schloss Duino, Slovene: Devinski grad) is a fourteenth-century fortification located in the village of Duino, located in the municipality of Duino-Aurisina, near Trieste, modern-day Italy, on the cliffs overlooking the Gulf of Trieste.
Building commenced in 1389 at the order of the Wallsee family. The ruins of an older castle built in the eleventh century by the Patriarch of Aquileia are located on the grounds. In the nineteenth century, it became one of two residences for Prince Alexander von Thurn und Taxis and his wife Princess Marie of the Czech branch of the House of Thurn und Taxis. While not the wealthiest of the Thurn und Taxis line, Alexander and Marie supported artists and writers, including Bohemian-Austrian poet Rainer Maria Rilke. While a guest of Princess Marie in early 1912, Rilke began to write his Duino Elegies, a collection of ten long, deeply philosophical and mystical poems which are considered to be his greatest work. Rilke dedicated his work to Princess Marie when they were completed in February 1922 and published the following year.
History
Near the castle are the ruins of the Old Castle which dates back to the 11th century. It belonged to the patriarchy of Aquileia. The castle dates back to 1389, when the Wallsee family commanded the construction of a strong fortress. Over time, the Wallsee family disappeared and the castle, after having been used as a prison, became the residence of the Luogar and Hofer.
At the end of the 19th century, it became the property of Prince Alexander Johann Vincenz Rudolf Hugo Karl Lamoral Eligius von Thurn und Taxis from the Czech branch of the House of Thurn and Taxis. It remains with the family to this day with his great-grandson Prince Carlo Alessandro della Torre e Tasso, Duke of Castel Duino, the current owner. The castle has been opened to the public as a museum and park.
At the end of and after World War II, the castle served as headquarters of the British XIII Corps (United Kingdom) under the command of Lt. Gen. Sir John Harding, 1st Baron Harding of Petherton. XIII Corps was part of the combined Allied Mediterranean Theater of Operations under Supreme Allied Commander Lt. Gen. Sir William Duthie Morgan. …
Text from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Full article: «Duino Castle».
Photos
Getting there
Sistiana-VisoglianoTrain, nearest
3.3 km as the crow flies
Duino CastleFrazione Duino, 32
Sistiana / Sesljan2.1 km
Trieste Airport12.2 km
Distances are as the crow flies, not walking or driving.
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Nearby
See on the mapMore castles in Friuli Venezia Giulia
Frequently asked questions
Where is Duino Castle?
Duino Castle is in Duino-Aurisina, in the province of Trieste (Friuli Venezia Giulia), Italy. Address: Frazione Duino, 32. GPS coordinates: 45.77178, 13.60392.
What else is there to see near Duino Castle?
Nearby you’ll find: Duino Mithraeum (1.5 km away), San Giovanni in Tuba (2.1 km away), Castello di Belforte (2.4 km away).
Sources and licences
Text. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Data. Wikidata (CC0); opening hours and contacts OpenStreetMap (ODbL).
Photos. Wikimedia Commons, author and licence on every image.
Credits for the 9 photos
- Castello di Duino-DSCF1405 — Twice25 & Rinina25, CC BY 2.5
- Alte Burg (Castello di Duino) — luckyprof, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bassin (Castello di Duino) — luckyprof, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Castello di Duino - Duino Aurisina, Trieste - 17 Aprile 2022 — GiorgioGaleotti, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Castello di Duino - Duino Aurisina, Trieste, Italia - 17 Aprile 2022 01 — GiorgioGaleotti, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Castello di Duino - Duino Aurisina, Trieste, Italia - 17 Aprile 2022 — GiorgioGaleotti, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Castello di Duino - Duino, Duino-Aurisina, Trieste, Italia - 17 Aprile 2022 01 — Giorgio Galeotti, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Castello di Duino - Duino, Duino-Aurisina, Trieste, Italia - 17 Aprile 2022 — Giorgio Galeotti, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Castello di Duino - Duino, Trieste, Italia - 17 Aprile 2022 — Giorgio Galeotti, CC BY-SA 4.0
Updated 28 October 2026. All sources and licences