This content was automatically translated. View the original text.
Caetani Castle in Fondi: The Lowland Fortress Where the Western Schism Began
The Castle of Caetani in Fondi is a rarity: a medieval fortress built on flat ground. Rising to a height of 33 metres, it dominates Piazza Matteotti with its massive bulk — a square keep, cylindrical tower, battlemented stronghold with three corner bastions. From the terrace, the Aurunci Mountains on one side, the Ausoni range on the other, and the entire plain stretching to the sea are visible. Construction began in 1319 at the behest of Roffredo III Caetani, who intended it to be the seat of his lordship. Fondi is situated in the province of Latina, an hour from Rome.
The City of Satan
In 1378, under Onorato I Caetani, the castle hosted the election of Antipope Clement VII — the event that marked the beginning of the Great Western Schism. For this reason, Fondi was branded "the city of Satan." In the 15th century, his son Onorato II added the late Gothic Aragonese windows and Renaissance portals that are still visible today.
Giulia Gonzaga and the Flight From Barbarossa
The castle was home to Giulia Gonzaga, widowed at the age of fifteen after the death of Count Vespasiano Colonna, and thereafter the Lady of Fondi. Her beauty was celebrated throughout Italy. In the night of 8 to 9 August 1534, the corsair Hayreddin Barbarossa attacked the city with the aim of capturing her and presenting her to Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. However, Giulia managed to flee in her nightgown towards Itri. Ariosto celebrated her in the chivalric poem Orlando Furioso.
