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Nobili Vitelleschi Castle: the village of Labro saved by a Belgian architect
Overlooking the Valle Santa Reatina (Holy Valley of Rieti), on the border with Umbria, the village of Labro is a stone labyrinth dominated by the Castello Nobili Vitelleschi. This medieval fortress, once belonging to the de' Nobili family and later to the Vitelleschi family during the Renaissance, tells the story of an entire village rescued from abandonment and brought back to life through a visionary restoration project.
An architect and a rebirth
The modern story of the village begins in the 1970s. Belgian architect Ivan Van Mossevelde fell in love with this near-ghost town, and decided to buy it up piece by piece. His intervention, fully respecting the local limestone, turned Labro into a case study in architectural conservation.
What to see in the castle and the village
The castle itself is the centrepiece of this rebirth, and its commanding architecture — with its tower and massive walls — defines the village’s silhouette. Strolling through the paved alleyways and climbing the steps that wind up towards the fortress is the best way to appreciate the scale of this architectural rescue. Every stone seems to have a story to tell.
The village of Labro is freely accessible. The castle is privately owned, but its grandeur can be admired from the outside while walking through the streets of the village.
