The fortress
Castell'Azzara Castle is located in the heart of the town, on Fratelli Bandiera Street.
Built in the 13th century, the castle has seen many reconstructions and unfortunately reflects little of its 13th-century self.
Today it is privately owned. However, one of its three towers, the clock tower (below), is still visible from the southeast corner of the castle.
Sure, the castle now looks almost like an ordinary house, but it has had a rather illustrious past.
The Aldobrandeschi brothers quarreled over who would commission it in the 13th century. The winner was decided by a game of dice, and if that is not a great way to decide the fate of large castles, I don't know what is.
After the Aldobrandeschi family, the Basques of Orvieto moved in, followed by the Sforza family in the 15th century. It was after the relocation of the Sforza family that La Rocca was subdivided and sold to private individuals.
photo: Matteo Vinattieri via Wikipedia
