Description of the attraction
Rocca di Urbisaglia Castle is a 16th century military fortress in the town of Urbisaglia in the Italian region of Marche, which also contains the ruins of medieval and ancient fortified walls. Its advantageous geographical location, dominating the inhabited territory and the Fiastra river valley, suggests that once upon a time it was on this place that the citadel of the ancient Roman city of Urbs Salvia was located. And when the city was attacked by barbarians, its population took refuge within the walls of the citadel.
In the 13th century, the Abbracciamonte family, who ruled in Urbisalla, gradually began to sell their possessions to the commune of Tolentino, and soon the whole city fell into the power of the latter. In order to prevent popular unrest among the inhabitants of Urbisaglia, Tolentino turned to Pope Alexander VI with a request to build a new fortress. The permission was obtained, and already in 1507 a new castle was built on the site of the ancient citadel. At the same time, the first 12 soldiers entered the garrison service.
Rocca di Urbisaglia is trapezoidal, with a long wall facing away from the city to protect against possible attacks. There are four towers in the corners, there is also a passage and a watchtower. The latter was originally an observation tower. Between the 12th and 15th centuries, it underwent a number of significant changes, and its current height - 24 meters - is lower than it was originally. The top of the tower, crowned with ghibelline merlons, once had a gable roof, and the only entrance to it was via a wooden staircase, which was removed in case of danger. The pass tower was protected by the north tower and keep and had its own musket embrasures. The southern tower was the most fortified, as it was facing away from the city and in the event of an attack, the first would have been subjected to shelling. It is at the base of this tower that traces of an ancient Roman defensive wall have been preserved. In the eastern tower, located inside the walls of the fortress, provisions and military equipment were stored, and in the event of a siege of the castle, it could be used as a living quarters.
