Castles

Fortified burgh of Fornelli

It is an enclosed burgh located not far from the springs of the river Volturno, established when the Benedictine monks promoted the concentration of the “livellari”, peasants whose task was to deforest and level uneven lands to make them suitable for cultivation. It is probable that the Normans confined themselves to improving the existing structures by integrating sections of walls and reorganising the system of towers. In its present state the settlement appears to have been deeply transformed by the modifications made by the Caldora and Pandone families. In the 15^th and 16^th centuries the town displayed typical urban defence characteristics, curtain wall with buttresses and escarped circular towers, which can be seen also in other villages in the area (Scapoli, Fornelli and Santa Maria Oliveto, for example). Five curtain towers survive, which are all being reused for various purposes. Beyond the main entrance there is the courtyard, which is fronted by the baronial palace, four-sided with an inner court. The church of Saint Michael Arcangelo occupies a central position in the small town, as usual in burghs originating from previous curtes of the early Middle Ages.