Castles

Castles of Rotello

The toponym Rotello (Lauritello, Lorotello, Rocellum) is closely associated with that of the Norman Counts of Loritello. The settlement was founded by Robert of Loritello, a grandson of Robert Guiscard. In 1060 the County of Loritello stretched from the river Fortore to the Tronto. The choice of Rotello to initiate the establishment of the county appears to be closely connected with the Longobard County of Pantasia, of which no mention is made after the middle years of the 11^th century. The survival of the toponym is limited to the monastery of St. Helen at Pantasia and the hamlet of Pantasia.
The palace is located in the centre of the village at the edge of the oldest part of the settlement. It has the appearance of a nobleman’s palace developed by combining different sections. Structurally dissimilar elements that still manage to survive might be remnants of an older Norman building. The present building is characterised by a façade overlooking the square and featuring a steep escarpment and a semicircular corner tower. This façade is dissimilar from the walls at the back and around the inner courtyard, where interesting wall stratigraphies can be observed. Significant remains of walls are also found in many buildings in the old part of the village, though they cannot yet with certainty be dated back to the Middle Ages