DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.41589#0062
above ground structures. During the past 11 years the excavation of the enclosing
walls round the central block, the actual palace building, was completed (Fig. 75). The
system, similarly to the central block, was built of brick over a stone foundation and
had a round tower at each corner. Most of the brick structure was damaged during the
years of Turkish supremacy between 1545 and 1686 and hardly any details have
survived. Thus we know only the foundations of the two gatehouses, one opening to the
west, the other to the south. Judging by the excavated remains of pillars, the gates were
approached via bridges that led across the deep and wide moat surrounding the castle.
The south gate provided communication to the settlement (a village in the early days,
later a market-town), while through the west gate direct access was possibile to the
parish church that stood in the near vicinity and has survived to the present day, though
showing Baroque features (Fig. 69).
While the form of the enclosing walls, corner towers, and gatehouses are subject to
theoretical reconstruction and thus are unfit for architectural analysis, we know
significantly more about the palace building itself and its central courtyard. The
investigation of all wall surfaces of the outside as well as of the inside, removal of the
footing from over the vaults of the ground floor, and excavation carried out in the
courtyard, the ground ssoor, and the cellars allowed us to form a detailed picture of the
architectural history of the most significant central part of the castle. I do not wish in
my present report to touch on any of the numerous building phases that followed in
sequence after the Turkish rule, in the 18th century. I will also disregard the Renaissance
restoration around 1520 as it did not basically affect the Gothic building. Of the earliest
palace building — the one that can be associated with the patronage of Filippo Scolari
— three outer fagades have survived (Figs 70—72) in full height up to the present main
cornice, which dates from the 18th century, and also two one-storey high details of the
courtyard fagades, some walls on the ground ssoor, and finally the cellars in the north
wing, these last nearly in their original state. The definition of the ground plan of the
building followed from the excavation of the foundations of walls later demolished,
whereas the attempt to reconstruct the bulk, the fagades, the inner court, and the interior
of the 15th century castle was based on the observation of as yet, in their context,
rather fragmentary informative details, such as frameworks, remains of vaults, corbel
stumps, etc. It must be stressed, however, that the latter would not have been possible
without thorough examination and analysis of those architectural fragments which were
gained either from archaeological levels, referring to demolition or building phases, or
from the 18th century walls themselves4.
According the written data, it was in 1416 that Filippo Scolari gained permission
from Sigismund of Luxembourg, then travelling in France, to have a residence, precisely
a castrum, fortalitium, or castellum built at Ozora, which had been in his possession
since 13995. This circumstance does not, in theory, exclude the possibility of construc-
tion works having already been started, or even that the building had actually been
finished by this time. In fact Scolari’s good connections with the monarch encourage
this suggestion. In any case, in 1418 Scolari obtained pontifical assent to the foundation
of a monastery of Observantives — which in a few years time was indeed erected in
a nearby valley. He also acquired certain privileges for the parish church olready
referred to and which was most probably also rebuilt by him6. However, there is only
one thing that seems to be certain regarding the castle itself: when in 1423 Sigismund of
Luxembourg paid a visit to his much favoured Scolari the latter’s residence had already
been completed7. The "splendid castello” itself is first mentioned in 1426, in a report of
the Florentine ambassador Rinaldo degli Albizzi, who spent three days there as
a guest8. At the end of that same year Scolari died but his widow continued to sive in the
castle until 1438. It was in this year that the chapel of the castle is mentioned for the first
time in a diploma. Its dedication to St. Philip and St. Barbara bears clear reference to
the landlord and his wife. In the oncoming decades of late mediaeval history the castle
60
walls round the central block, the actual palace building, was completed (Fig. 75). The
system, similarly to the central block, was built of brick over a stone foundation and
had a round tower at each corner. Most of the brick structure was damaged during the
years of Turkish supremacy between 1545 and 1686 and hardly any details have
survived. Thus we know only the foundations of the two gatehouses, one opening to the
west, the other to the south. Judging by the excavated remains of pillars, the gates were
approached via bridges that led across the deep and wide moat surrounding the castle.
The south gate provided communication to the settlement (a village in the early days,
later a market-town), while through the west gate direct access was possibile to the
parish church that stood in the near vicinity and has survived to the present day, though
showing Baroque features (Fig. 69).
While the form of the enclosing walls, corner towers, and gatehouses are subject to
theoretical reconstruction and thus are unfit for architectural analysis, we know
significantly more about the palace building itself and its central courtyard. The
investigation of all wall surfaces of the outside as well as of the inside, removal of the
footing from over the vaults of the ground floor, and excavation carried out in the
courtyard, the ground ssoor, and the cellars allowed us to form a detailed picture of the
architectural history of the most significant central part of the castle. I do not wish in
my present report to touch on any of the numerous building phases that followed in
sequence after the Turkish rule, in the 18th century. I will also disregard the Renaissance
restoration around 1520 as it did not basically affect the Gothic building. Of the earliest
palace building — the one that can be associated with the patronage of Filippo Scolari
— three outer fagades have survived (Figs 70—72) in full height up to the present main
cornice, which dates from the 18th century, and also two one-storey high details of the
courtyard fagades, some walls on the ground ssoor, and finally the cellars in the north
wing, these last nearly in their original state. The definition of the ground plan of the
building followed from the excavation of the foundations of walls later demolished,
whereas the attempt to reconstruct the bulk, the fagades, the inner court, and the interior
of the 15th century castle was based on the observation of as yet, in their context,
rather fragmentary informative details, such as frameworks, remains of vaults, corbel
stumps, etc. It must be stressed, however, that the latter would not have been possible
without thorough examination and analysis of those architectural fragments which were
gained either from archaeological levels, referring to demolition or building phases, or
from the 18th century walls themselves4.
According the written data, it was in 1416 that Filippo Scolari gained permission
from Sigismund of Luxembourg, then travelling in France, to have a residence, precisely
a castrum, fortalitium, or castellum built at Ozora, which had been in his possession
since 13995. This circumstance does not, in theory, exclude the possibility of construc-
tion works having already been started, or even that the building had actually been
finished by this time. In fact Scolari’s good connections with the monarch encourage
this suggestion. In any case, in 1418 Scolari obtained pontifical assent to the foundation
of a monastery of Observantives — which in a few years time was indeed erected in
a nearby valley. He also acquired certain privileges for the parish church olready
referred to and which was most probably also rebuilt by him6. However, there is only
one thing that seems to be certain regarding the castle itself: when in 1423 Sigismund of
Luxembourg paid a visit to his much favoured Scolari the latter’s residence had already
been completed7. The "splendid castello” itself is first mentioned in 1426, in a report of
the Florentine ambassador Rinaldo degli Albizzi, who spent three days there as
a guest8. At the end of that same year Scolari died but his widow continued to sive in the
castle until 1438. It was in this year that the chapel of the castle is mentioned for the first
time in a diploma. Its dedication to St. Philip and St. Barbara bears clear reference to
the landlord and his wife. In the oncoming decades of late mediaeval history the castle
60