Castel Rinaldi

Details

Category: Paesi

Medieval village built in 1160 by a certain "Rinaldo Duke of Calabria", Castel Rinaldi was part of the fief of the Arnolfi. Constantly part of Guelph, Castel Rinaldi was often the center of infighting that marked the territory in the Middle Age. In 1311 it was attacked by the Todi Ghibellines which forced it to submission. In the fifteenth century it passed under the rule of the powerful Atti family of Todi. The castle was built on a very instable slope. Indeed, around the first half of 1400 it was damaged by some landslides that greatly reduced the size of the castle. Pope Clemente VII stopped at Castel Rinaldi while he was traveling  Umbria in 1532. Near the castle is located a pagan necropolis covered in greenery and difficult to access.

 Curiosity: The deep religiosity of the population is demonstrated, as stated in a document of 1700, the presence of some burial grounds: "... «…si veggono alcune grotte. Una delle quali era un sepolcreto o un colombario con molte piccole nicchie per le olle cinerarie divise in vari ordini sino a sette l’una sopra l’altra.». (Nessi S., Ceccaroni S., 1978, p.58).  These structures, discovered in substantial numbers on the cliffs that border the Via Flaminia and the stream of Massa Martana, consist of underground rooms of probable funerary use, carved into the rock. They have rows of small niches on the walls, of 20-25 cm. of side and 30 cm deep., and differently shaped according to the location.

They are dated between the second century BC and third centuries A.D.

In Castel Rinaldi columbarium niches are perfectly aligned and have the top slightly arched.

In other columbaria, especially those of the cliff of Massa Martana, the niches are arranged in a checkerboard and are rectangular shape while inside widen with a slight splay of a truncated pyramid.

Today 18 sites have been recognized in different locations (Massa Martana, Caciaro, Ponte and Castel Rinaldi), almost all of the same size: 8-10 meters long, 3-4 meters in height. This sites are difficult to reach because they are covered by vegetation or recovered by sediments.

Probably in the Middle Ages, were used by the inhabitants of Massa Martana, for the breeding of pigeons, as witnessed, for example in Orvieto.

Curiosity: Very close in 1839 was found a funerary “stele” bilingual along the ancient route of the Via Flaminia.

The “stele” is engraved on both sides with inscriptions in Latin and Celtic and refers to the funerary monument of Ategnatus son of Drutus. Now is preserved in the Etruscan Gregorian Museum.

Rocchette

Malgrado che anche questo insediamento sia in avanzato stato di degrado, conserva tuttavia sufficienti elementi architettonici che danno un quadro d' insieme abbastanza leggibile della funzione dife [...]

Castelvecchio

The village is today very different from what must have appeared in the Middle Ages. Today only some ruins of the fortified village remain, hidden by vegetation. Literature attest it as one of the [...]

Castel Rinaldi

Medieval village built in 1160 by a certain "Rinaldo Duke of Calabria", Castel Rinaldi was part of the fief of the Arnolfi. Constantly part of Guelph, Castel Rinaldi was often the center of infighti [...]

Colpetrazzo

Castle built between 1300 and 1400, it still preserves its medieval structure. Of particular interest is the medieval main door near the small church of San Bernardino. Above the church of San Berna [...]

Mezzanelli

The castle of Mezzanelli has followed the fortunes of the various rulers who handled its political life. Once part of Terre Arnolfe, the castle was cited in documents from 1115 and 1118 (Earls Ridol [...]

Montignano

The origins of the Castle of Montignano date back to 962 when Otto I of Saxony was crowned in Milan as Emperor of Germany and King of  Italy by Pope John XII and he immediately tried to gain the lo [...]

Viepri

The fortified village of Viepri is wrapped in high hills, which ensured defense for centuries and still seem to hide it. Built after 1380 on the ruins of the demolished castle of Monte Schignano, it [...]

Villa San Faustino

The castle of Villa San Faustino was part of the Terre Arnolfe in the tenth and eleventh centuries (mentioned in documents of the abbey of Farfa 1115 and 1118). The castle, connected to the importan [...]

Zampani

In the thirteenth century the village of Zampani and its inhabitants were included in the territory of the Gagliole castle that stood on top of the hill now called Torracio. The castle was destroyed [...]