Growing Up in Antognolla Castle: Interview with Ermanno Polla

It is hard to find a person more knowledgeable of Antognolla Castle’s history, architecture, and its every corner, both visible and invisible to the eye, than Ermanno Polla. 

Mr. Polla is not only an expert in medieval architecture but also one of the last residents of Antognolla Castle, the 12th-century structure taking its name from a once powerful local family.

Mr. Polla moved into the Castle with his family in 1949, when he was 12 years old. His father was the estate manager for Fiat, which then owned the Antognolla estate. The Castle, which Polla calls home, would later inspire him to become an architect and to dedicate his intellectual work to this former residence of his and to the village of Antognolla.

Having embraced, and having been embraced by, Antognolla throughout his lifetime, Mr. Polla shares moments, thoughts, and feelings from this magical region.

Q: What initially drew you to the study of medieval architecture?

A: As a child, I was interested in astronomy and space travel; however, my passion took me to Rome to study architecture. The Castle of Antognolla was an important training centre. It was an inspiration for my curiosity; it pushed me to investigate the past, to enter the architectural subject. The Castle and its towers – but, above all, its roofs – became a rare observation point of reality. The human being produces, creates, invents for those who come after. An architect can highlight aspects that are not easily perceptible at first glance.

Q: What was it like living in Antognolla Castle?

A: Living in a castle was something I had only seen in movies. When my father told us that we were to go live in a real castle in Umbria, I felt a wave of emotion. The fact that it was a castle that we were going to helped me overcome the fear of abandoning the sea near Rimini, where we had been living. I still remember the first time I saw it: from the car, surrounded by trees, I saw the valley, the village, and the castle appear, which from afar seemed even more imposing.

I felt like someone of importance living in the Castle. My room was the most beautiful room: encircled by frescoes with floral sculptural motifs where blue, orange, and white dominated. In the centre of the room there was a loggia with a painting of Cupid holding a mirror. It was a pavilion vault with four lunettes. The room was called the Bishop’s room.

Q: What are some features of the Castle that stand out in your memory?

A: A castle like Antognolla allows the mind to travel, imagining all those who had adventured throughout the centuries. I experienced the entire Castle, its every corner, its dark areas as well as those illuminated by the sun. What I found most surprising was that the base of the wall facing the courtyard was not walled up but was left in natural stratified rock. This was concrete evidence that the Castle walls were built directly on the rock of the hill.

The room that fascinated me the most, however, was the armoury: on the walls shone the rays of engraved swords, while in the centre some display cases contained old pistols, and in the corner there was armour from the 16th century that inspired a certain fear and awe. In that room, in my mind, I experienced duels and conquests. I felt like Ruggero d’Antognolla, remembered for his courage and willpower.

Q: You are an architect but also a painter. How did this come about?

A: The wall on one of the sides of the courtyard had a niche in which there was nothing. The urge to do something was strong: I couldn’t sculpt but I could draw. I was a self-taught painter, and observation was my guide. I found fundamental ideas for my future paintings during my walks around the Castle. Everything around me was colour. I have always tried to capture in my canvases that ‘fleeting moment’ made of bright and changing colours that accompanied me even in my dreams. I painted the Castle from every angle, almost always surrounded by the silver flush of the olive trees.

Q: In your study Sul Castello Di Antognolla, you explore the community that once lived near the Castle. How do you see the relationship between the individual architectural structures and their surrounding communities?

A: I looked with curiosity at the people who lived in the village, with their carts pulled by white oxen, and at the children who soon became my playmates. It was a helpful and united community. In October the whole area came alive for the harvest, and the sweet smell of must inebriate the entire valley. Wagons full of grapes would drive up to the cellar in the churchyard. And we, the children, ran to steal the goods.

Around the well, in the courtyard, there was a cavity which was used as a place to hide food: a precious asset during the war. The well also served as a natural refrigerator for drinks, cooling them on hot Umbrian summer days. The church, as a physical and spiritual meeting place, is what made Antognolla not only a village but also a community. It hosted religious functions on public holidays, particularly in the summer, where all the people from the surrounding area gathered. After Mass we all greeted each other and exchanged comments on the week’s news. Easter was also a special holiday. According to Umbrian tradition, baskets containing eggs, wine, capocollo, and other foods, along with Easter cakes made with cheese were brought to the church to be blessed, and their contents were then consumed on the day of the feast.

From the top of the highest tower of the Castle, together with some friends, we experienced our first solar eclipse – an unforgettable event that would not have been possible in the absence of such an architectural structure.

Q: What does it mean to be ‘Umbrian’?

A: The land of my ancestors was Piedmont, and I was born in a hill town, Brusnengo, surrounded by the greenery of vineyards and orchards. I arrived in Umbria at age 12, and felt welcomed by this land, rich in history. I became Umbrian by choice. This is where I got married and where my children spent their summers, carefree. Choosing life, beauty, and nature, that’s what makes Umbria, and that’s what makes me Umbrian.