Italian castles: Castle of Oricola

The medieval castle of Oricola is a castle located in the municipality of Oricola (AQ), Abruzzo.

In order to ward off assaults by Saracens and Hungarians, Rainaldo, the count of the Marsi, erected a fortification in the ninth century. Following the fall of Carsoli in 1242, Frederick II assaulted the fortress while chasing fugitives who had relocated to Oricola. The Orsini family took control of Oricola in 1381, and in the middle of the 15th century, renovations were made to the fortress, giving it its current appearance. It was acquired by the Colonna family in 1491, but the Orsini ultimately regained control of the fortress in 1528 after defeating the Colonna near Magliano de’ Marsi.

The forces of the Duke of Tagliacozzo and Albe once more stormed and devastated Oricola and other nearby castles in 1557. The current castle has a triangle shape and three cylindrical towers at each corner. It is located in a dominating location on the Cavaliere plain. The two towers on the eastern facade have undergone full renovations, however, the west tower still exhibits the original design features.

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