Castelliere

The walls of Monkodonja

A prehistoric fortification , a fortified settlement or castle from the Bronze and Iron Ages in Veneto , Carso , Friuli and Istria is called Castelliere or Castellare . In the Marche they are known by the term Gradìne. They are usually located on a hill and are surrounded by a simple stone wall.

Inside the wall there were mostly square stone or wooden huts. The first castellieri originated in Istria during the Bronze Age . The design was later adopted in adjacent areas such as Friuli , Venezia Giulia and Dalmatia . The Castellieri culture ended around the 3rd century BC. . AD with the conquest of the Romans took over, some of the hilltop castles as military bases. Remains of the Castellieri can still be found in the respective regions today.

literature

• V. Bianco: Castelliere , In: Enciclopedia dell'Arte Antica, Treccani, 1959. URL consultato il 1º febbraio 2014.
• F. Zorzi: Il castelliere del Monte Purga di Velo Veronese , La tipografica veronese, 1950.