Cardinale Castle (Italy)

Located on a steep cliff, where the Etruscan remains are evident, stand the ancient ruins of Castel Cardinale. What remains, in the middle of nature, immediately strikes the visitor for their enigmatic and mysterious beauty.


In the 12th century the Castle belonged to the fiefdom of Tuscana. At the beginning of the 14th century it was included among the possessions of Toscanella, today's Tuscania. The latter changed the name to reaffirm the submission to the Municipality of Rome and to Pope Boniface VIII. At the beginning of the fifteenth century the Castle was partially in ruins, until 1421 when it was restored by Angelo da Lavello, Count of Toscanella. To reinforce it, he adds a "shoe" to the pentagonal tower and to one side of the castle. It fell into ruin again in 1433 due to the numerous attacks it had suffered. The Castle falls within the possessions of the Church with ups and downs until 1773 and subsequently entrusted by Pope Clement XVI to the Gentili family. In 1892 it became the definitive property of Costanza de Gentili of the Counts of Castel Cardinale who married one of the marquises of Rende.

A valley littered with ancient ruins
The immense plain, not very far from the civilization of Musarna, extends between Viterbo, Tuscania and Tarquinia. The valley is scattered with the remains of fortresses, which give an idea of how and to what extent it was militarily garrisoned during the Middle Ages. Among the many, Castel Cardinale stands out, a place known to farmers in the area also with the name of "Castello del Marchese".

The castle rises to protect a small ditch. The peculiarity of Castel Cardinale is the fact that it was not built on the edge of a cliff, but on the top of a small hill.

Mysterious and solitary, the ruins of Castel Cardinale strike the visitor for their enigmatic beauty, conferred by their unusual position and particular environmental situation. The hill on which they stand, crowned by tall pines, is surrounded by green meadows which are in turn bordered by thick vegetation.

The Castle is made of blocks of brown tuff on a sandstone base. Its current appearance, with an irregular plan with a semicircular portion, is the result of successive alterations. Inside, high and massive sections of walls allow us to imagine that there was a mighty central keep, while nothing remains of the other buildings. The perimeter walls are better preserved, from which the splendid tower next to the access door stands out, the most characteristic element of Castel Cardinale.