Cles Castle is located on the top of a hill in the homonymous town of the Val di Non, facing the Lake of Santa Giustina. The strategic position of the manor was once aimed at controlling the wooden bridge of Romanesque origin that connected Cles to Alta Anaunia, now kept in the lake that submerged it. Today it is a private residence and can only be admired from outside, with the exception of some summer cultural events.
The century to which the first news of Cles Castle date back is the XII, a period in which the ancient keep was erected.
It was with the prince bishop Bernardo Clesio, an illustrious humanist who promoted the construction of various churches, castles and palaces, that the building was enlarged and developed following the canons of the Renaissance style.
In the course of history, Cles Castle was damaged several times, for example at the beginning of the sixteenth century during what is remembered as the "peasant revolt"; but it was in 1825 that the manor suffered the most serious mutiny, losing part of the precious decorations and one of the towers, due to a terrible fire. So today what remains to be admired is the housing complex closed by the two remaining towers on the sides.
Inside the castle of Cles there are rooms of rare beauty such as the "Saletta delle Metamorfosi" whose frescoes, attributed to the court painter Marcello Fogolino, depict some episodes of the "Metamorphosis" of Ovid, or the large main hall with drawers.
The Castle of Cles, now owned by the Barons of Cles, remains closed to the public, excluding some cultural theme nights during the summer.
