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Itri Castle: three towers on a rocky spur and a chilling legend
Perched on Sant'Angelo Hill in the province of Latina along the Via Appia (the ancient Appian Way), the Medieval Castle of Itri was constructed in several stages over four centuries. Docibilis I, the hypatus of the Duchy of Gaeta, commissioned the pentagonal tower in 882 AD to spot Saracen incursions from the sea. Sixty-eight years later, his grandson Marinus I added the square tower, known as the keep, which was taller and more imposing than the first structure.
The cylindrical tower and the legend of the Crocodile
Around 1250, after the castle had passed to the Caetani family, the cylindrical tower was added. It is known as the Torre del Coccodrillo (Crocodile Tower): according to legend, a large reptile lived in the moat at its base, to which those condemned to death were fed. Hence the name. Tradition has it that on stormy nights, the cloaks of the guards seem to move along the crenelated walkway.
How to visit The most scenic pedestrian access begins at Porta Mamurra, goes through the Jewish quarter of Vico Giudea, and climbs to the upper part of the town. Inside, you can visit the Caetani private chapel, which features a still-visible fresco of St Anthony the Abbot, and climb to the terrace for a panoramic view of the Riviera di Ulisse (Ulysses Riviera).
