De Sanctis Castle is a Middle Ages castle in Roccacasale, Province of L’Aquila (Abruzzo).
The Counts of Spoleto allegedly constructed the fortress around 925 AD to restrict access to the Cinquemiglia Plateau and Sangro Valley. The Cantelmo family owned the castle during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. It then passed to the De Sanctis Barons at the end of the 16th century, who held it until 1803, when the French demolished it.
The Municipality of Roccacasale restored the castle between 1994 and 1996, taking care of the remnants and the pedestrian access road as well as building the building that now serves as the Museum of Documentation and Popular Traditions since 2004. Like many other castles on the Navelli Plateau, including San Pio delle Camere, Barisciano, and Fossa, it is a typical structure. The walls have a triangular layout, and at the point where the triangle is tallest is a partially collapsed strut with a trapezoidal layout. A square tower without an inner wall guards the castle’s entrance, which is on the valley side facing the settlement.
Featured image: wikimedia
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