The Castle is the heart of the fortified village of Fumone.
An important place, once home to the feudal lords of Fumone, a prison of the Pontifical State reserved for political prisoners and an extraordinary observatory over valleys, towns and major avenues that led to the south.
From a military fortress and pontifical prison it was then transformed into a private residence only in 1588 when it was sold to the Marquis Longhi De Paolis who is still the owner.
Like every respectable castle, Fumone's castle also hosts ghosts from the past.
It is said that at night there is the noise of the armour fittings that move quickly between the rooms of the ancient manor, as well as the troubled wandering of Duchess Emilia Caietani in search of the little son Francesco, poisoned by her sisters for inheritance issues in the second half of the 1800's.
It is also interesting that, especially in the Middle Ages, the "Ius primae noctis" was in force in the Castle, that is to say, the right of the feudal lord to grant marriage to his servants, while retaining the opportunity to consume the first wedding night with the future bride.
A well inside the museum would seem to have been attached to this right.
The castle is open to the public, and the tour takes you through the halls of the first floor, the Pope Celestino V Sanctuary, the hanging gardens and the contemporary art gallery.
(Elisa Potenziani)
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