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Rocca Sorella in Sora: the Castle of San Casto with its Cyclopean Walls and 16th-Century Towers
On Mount San Casto, 500 metres above Sora, Rocca Sorella — officially the Castle of Saints Castus and Cassius — dominates the Liri Valle on the Abruzzo-facing side. This Renaissance castle is built on top of layers of earlier history: cyclopean walls from the 6th century BC, a Roman citadel mentioned by Livy, a medieval fortress.
From the Destruction of 1229 to the Della Rovere Building Site
The medieval castle was destroyed in 1229, after years of sieges and rebuildings ordered by Frederick II and Charles of Anjou. The structure visible today was begun in 1520, under the duchy of Della Rovere. Its designer, Evangelista Carrara of Bergamo, was a renowned military engineer. It had a rectangular ground plan, six towers — cylindrical, polygonal and square — and battered walls designed to deflect artillery fire. The fortress was considered impregnable. Distinguished guests included the young Duke Francesco Maria I della Rovere and his mother Giovanna Feltria di Montefeltro.
What to See on the Way Up
Inside, the great courtyard with the cistern survives, along with the watchtower keep and a votive chapel dedicated to Saints Castus and Cassius with an ancient fresco. On the underground levels, traces of the Roman castle can be glimpsed. Along the entrance path, the ruins of two semicircular towers are encountered, as well as the rock-cut shrine of the pre-Roman god Silvanus. It can only be reached on foot, along an unpaved trail marked by CAI (Italian Alpine Club).
