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Malvezzi Campeggi Castle: a Thousand Years of History in the Lucretili Mountains
The Castello Malvezzi Campeggi has stood tall over Orvinio since the year 1000. Its battlemented walls enclose almost the entire historic centre of this Sabina town, one of the most beautiful in Italy, perched 840 metres high in the Lucretili Mountains Park. The cylindrical keep and the rusticated portal are the first elements that catch the eye as one climbs towards the centre. The castle remains to this day the private residence of the Marchesi Malvezzi Campeggi family.
From Fortress to Noble Palace
The history of the castle is one of changing hands among the great families of the Papal States. The Canemorto lords — which was the ancient name of Orvinio — held it until the 15th century. Then came the Orsini, who enlarged it in the 16th century and built the wing known as the "Granarone". The Muti family constructed the citadel and a defensive tower, which is now lost. From 1632 the Borghese succeeded them, restructuring it over two centuries until it took on its present-day appearance. In the 20th century, further restoration works consolidated the structure without altering its character.
Frescoes and Trapdoors
Inside, spacious rooms open up, with coffered wooden ceilings and late 16th-century frescoes celebrating the deeds of the Muti barons. Archival documents also record the existence of trapdoors fitted with iron blades and spikes, and instruments of the feudal era. These underground areas were later converted into cellars. Today the castle’s rooms are made available for ceremonies and stays, offering a chance to step inside — if only for a few hours — a living piece of Sabine history.
