Coming from Udine after taking the long straightway, built in the 16th century for scenic reasons only, you can gradually see the current profile of the manor, called "the castle of writers and storytellers". Here, in fact, lived and expressed their creativity the 17th century poet Ermes da Colloredo and the great 19th century writer Ippolito Nievo, who wrote "Confessioni di un Italiano", the author and traveller Stanislao Nievo.
The origins of the Castle of Colloredo di Monte Albano date back to the 14th century and, from the earliest times, it was a typical example of a "residential" castle, built for defensive purposes at the centre of the feud as a stable and secure residence. After the feudal struggles that characterized the entire course of the 16th century, the owners dedicated themselves to embellishing the old residence with the sumptuous elegance of the Renaissance.
The decorations made by Giovanni da Udine, a pupil of Raphael, for the famous studio of the castle date back to this period: today you can see interesting fragments with stuccoes and paintings with zoo-anthropomorphic figures. Before the earthquake of 1976, the castle consisted of a central nucleus, three towers and two wings.
A triple circle of walls with an elliptical perimeter can still be seen. Today, while waiting for the reconstruction of the whole complex, you can see the tower with the clock and the west wing, where the Comunità Collinare del Friuli is located.
