Duino castle
Encyclopedia
Duino
Duino is a town at the Adriatic coast in the municipality of Duino-Aurisina, part of the region of Friuli – Venezia Giulia in the province of Trieste, north-eastern Italy....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
overlooking the Gulf of Trieste
Gulf of Trieste
The Gulf of Trieste is a shallow bay of the Adriatic Sea, in the extreme northern part of the Mediterranean Sea. It is part of the Gulf of Venice and is shared by Italy, Slovenia and Croatia...
.
The castle dates back to 1389, when the Wallsee family commanded the construction of a strong fortress. Over time, the Wallsee family disappeared and the castle, after having been used as a prison, became the residence of the Luogar and Hofer. At the end of the 19th century it became the property of Prince Alexander Johann Vincenz Rudolf Hugo Karl Lamoral Eligius von Thurn und Taxis from the Czech branch of the House of Thurn and Taxis. It remains with the family to this day with his great-grandson Prince Carlo Alessandro della Torre e Tasso
Carlo Alessandro, Duke of Castel Duino
Carlo Alessandro, Prince della Torre e Tasso, 3rd Duke of Castel Duino, full Italian name: Carlo Alessandro, Principe della Torre e Tasso, Duca di Castel Duino is the current head of the Castel Duino branch of the House of Thurn and Taxis.-Family:Carlo Alessandro is the only child of Raimundo, 2nd...
, Duke of Castel Duino
Duke of Castel Duino
The Dukes of Castel Duino are a noble family in Italy descending from the Bohemian line of the Princely House of Thurn and Taxis. The title was created along with the additional title of Prince della Torre e Tasso in 1923 for Prince Alexander of Thurn and Taxis following his naturalisation in...
the current owner. The castle has been opened to the public as a museum and park.
The writer and poet Rainer Maria Rilke
Rainer Maria Rilke
René Karl Wilhelm Johann Josef Maria Rilke , better known as Rainer Maria Rilke, was a Bohemian–Austrian poet. He is considered one of the most significant poets in the German language...
wrote the Duino Elegies
Duino Elegies
The Duino Elegies are a set of ten elegies written in German by the poet Rainer Maria Rilke from 1912 to 1922. They are frequently referred to as Rilke's most acclaimed poetic work.-Presentation:...
in the castle while visiting the Princess Marie von Thurn und Taxis (born Princess of Hohenlohe). Rilke subsequently devoted his work to the princess, who was one of his biggest patrons.