The Castle of Duino, a historic private residence for over 420 years of the principles of Torre and Tasso, is one of the most fascinating and rich in history of the Trieste Karst surrounded by nature, culture, history and nobility.
Castello di Duino History
The Castle of Duino, owned by the Princes von Thurn und Taxis, stands in a picturesque and panoramic position: perched on a rocky outcrop overlooking the sea, it enjoys a breathtaking view over the Gulf of Trieste.
The origins of the castle, whose history is inseparably intertwined between reality and legend, date back to Roman times. Its construction was commissioned in 1389 by Ugone di Duino on the remains of a Roman outpost of the III century AD whose remains of the original tower are still visible in the body of the current castle.
Over the centuries the manor underwent various changes of ownership: after the death of Ugone, it passed from the Walsee family to the hands of Frederick III, to further change owners with the arrival of the noble Hoffer family. At the end of the 16th century, with the extinction of the family, the castle and the fiefdom were ceded to Raimondo VI della Torre.
At each change of hands the structure has been modified, restored and remodeled and to date the Castle of Duino is presented as a complex of buildings of different eras, surrounded by a courtyard with a loggia adorned with expanses of multicolored flowers and closed by high walls of walled bastion. On the sea side there is also a terrace on the amazing panoramic view.
In the park there is a bunker used during the Second World War which, thanks to patient restoration work, has been transformed into a charming museum with vintage relics exposed a room of 400 square meters dug at a depth of 18 meters.
Over the years there have been many illustrious guests of the castle: from Princess Sissi, to Archduke Franz Ferdinand, from Johann Strauss to Franz Liszt, from Mark Twain to Paul Valéry, from Gabriele D'Annunzio to the Hermetic poet Rainer Maria Rilke, who from these Places took inspiration for its famous "Elegie Duinesi".
The structure houses a Bed and Breakfast and is presented as a privileged location for gala dinners and weddings. Guests can enjoy an aperitif on the ramparts enjoying the breathtaking view of the sea, dine in the lounges full of fine works of art, historical and cultural references and continue the evening in the charming Sala Grotta.