Rocca Orsini, Scurcola Marsicana

The Stronghold of Orsini family (Rocca Orsini) is a Middle Ages castle in Scurcola Marsicana, L’Aquila.

Scurcola Marsicana’s highest point is where you’ll find Rocca Orsini. It is made up of a variety of constructions from various eras. The De Pontibus family constructed the earliest portion of the castle in the 13th century; it is a Norman-Swabian enclosure castle with a design like many other fortifications in the L’Aquila region, such as the Castle of San Pio delle Camere. The castle’s design was built on a wall with a triangular plant descending down to the valley and a pentagonal tower situated at the higher top. The existence of this fortress, known as “castrum Sculcule,” during the battle of Tagliacozzo in 1268 between Conradin and Charles I of Naples is confirmed by historical records.

In the late 15th century, the Orsini family transformed the castle into a Renaissance fortress. Gentile Virginio Orsini, Count of Tagliacozzo and Lord of Bracciano, collaborated with Francesco di Giorgio Martini, who was already building the Campagnano di Roma fortress, on the design of the new building in 1490. The layout of the castle did not much change when it was transferred to the Colonna family in the sixteenth century.