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There are few countries as gorgeous as Italy in terms of the sheer amount of cities to visit, history to behold, and arts and architecture to admire. The historic boot-shaped country has no shortage of incredible sights to see, and should you ever go to Italy, it’s definitely worth it to look into the incredible historic castles that line the coast all around the country.

The castles are at once majestic and romantic, mysterious and envy inducing. While many of the fortresses have helped protect and safeguard its residents in past centuries, they now serve as quaint tourist attractions for visitors from the world over.

While there are countless castles from which to choose, consider visiting one or all of our top picks for the top 5 most stunning castles Italy has to offer:

Castello Orsini-Odescalchi

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¡Castillo! #BellezaVolcánica

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Aragonese Castle

Castel dell’Ovo

Rocca Maggiore

Castle Belfort