Huge knots of seaweed hung upon the jagged and pointed stones, trembling in every breath of wind; and the green ivy clung mournfully round the dark and ruined battlements. Behind it rose the ancient castle, its towers roofless, and its massive walls crumbling away, but telling us proudly of its own might and strength, as when, seven hundred years ago, it rang with the clash of arms, or resounded with the noise of feasting and revelry.
Charles Dickens, The Pickwick Papers
Charles Dickens describes a castle in ruins, but imagines it in its prime. That is how I felt when we arrived at the Limatola Castle, about a 45 minute drive north of Naples. The stones of the castle are now discolored and covered in moss, but it was still easy to imagine what it would have looked like during the medieval period as it towered over the surrounding town. I can see why it has become a popular backdrop for weddings, a destination for travelers to stay (I mean, who wouldn’t want to spend the night in a castle?!), and the venue for the incredible Limatola Christmas Market.
Continue reading “Castello di Limatola Christmas Market”