Museo nazionale di Castello Pandone

About the museum

Castello Pandone in Venafro has an older nucleus from the megalithic era, visible at the base of the Lombard tower, and it developed mainly after the 10th century. Under the Angevins the moat and three large truncated-cone towers were added. In 1443, under the Aragonese, the castle passed to the Pandone family. Count Enrico Pandone turned it into a high-level residence and had the rooms of the piano nobile (main floor) decorated with images of his horses. Each horse bears the count’s monogram and an inscription with its name, breed, age and the recipient of the gift, generally an Italian nobleman; one was given to Emperor Charles V. The castle later passed to the Lannoy, Peretti Savelli and Di Capua families.

Today the castle houses the Museo nazionale del Molise, run by the Ministry of Culture through the Direzione regionale Musei del Molise. The works come mainly from churches and collections in Molise, with some loans from museums in Naples, Rome and Caserta. The route follows chronological order, from 7th-century fresco fragments from Isernia to prints and watercolours of the early 20th century.

The main pieces include a 14th-century Madonna and Child from Matrice, an alabaster polyptych of the Passion made in an English workshop from Nottingham in the 15th century, Neapolitan paintings from the 16th to the 18th century, including a work of 1612 by Simone Papa, and a collection of drawings and prints by artist families from Oratino.

Highlights

• Rooms decorated with the horses of Enrico Pandone
• Fresco fragments from Isernia, 7th century
• Alabaster polyptych of the Passion, Nottingham workshop (15th century)
• 14th-century Madonna and Child from Matrice
• Neapolitan paintings from the 16th to the 18th century
• Collection of drawings and prints by artists from Oratino

Permanent exhibition

• Percorso espositivo permanente – Painting and figurative arts of Molise from the 7th century to the early 20th century, with works from churches and local collections and the cycle of horses of Enrico Pandone.

Operated by

Direzione regionale Musei del Molise (Ministero della Cultura)

Visitors per year

approx. 7,147

Admission & discounts

Free admission: First Sunday of the month (free admission to state museums).

Prices according to Museionline (updated April 2024).

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