Castle of Antognolla: A Medieval Fortified Settlement in Italy
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.3
- Popularity
- Very Low
- Country
- Italy
- Primary era
- Medieval
- Eras represented
- Medieval
- Civilizations
- Papal States
- Site type
- Military
- Remains
- Castle
On this page7 sections
History
Castle of Antognolla is a medieval fortified settlement in Italy, located at Antognolla north of Perugia on the northern slopes of Monte Tezio. Its construction date is uncertain, although it is associated with the early eleventh century. The site developed from a Benedictine religious foundation into a fortified settlement and later passed through noble, papal, and private ownership.
Monastic Origins and Fortification
The first recorded reference to Antognolla dates to 1174, when the locality contained a Benedictine monastery dedicated to Saint Peter. Benedictines belonged to the Order of Saint Benedict, a major Western Christian monastic tradition. For reasons that are not specified, the monastery later became a military settlement. By the middle of the thirteenth century, the site was described as a castrum, meaning a fortified settlement or stronghold, and it was already owned by the Antognolla family.
The Antognolla Family and Papal Fief
The castle’s name comes from the Antognolla, or Antognolli, family, one of Perugia’s oldest noble families. The family appears in chronicles from the twelfth century and lived at Porta Santa Susanna in Perugia. In 1399, Pope Boniface IX raised the County of Antognolla to a fief, a territory granted by a superior authority in return for service, and granted it to Ruggero di Antognolla and his heirs for services to the Holy See. The Holy See was the papal institution and its central ecclesiastical authority.
Later Ownership and Restoration
In 1628, Castle of Antognolla became the property of Cornelio Oddi, who already owned the castles of Murlo, Valenzina, and Procoio with his brothers. Giovanni Battista Guglielmi of Rome purchased the County of Antognolla, together with the castles of Valenzina and Murlo, in 1836 and carried out numerous restorations. He received the titles Count of Antognolla and Marquis of Valenzina, after which members of his family became known as Guglielmi d’Antognolla.
The Guglielmi family sold the property in 1921 because it had no male heirs. After several further changes of ownership, the castle became part of assets held by a company associated with the Agnelli family. It is now privately owned by Andrey Yakunin.
Remains
Castle of Antognolla survives as an imposing medieval fortified settlement constructed in stone and brick. The restored complex occupies the northern slopes of Monte Tezio and retains evidence of both its fortified character and earlier religious use.
Fortified Settlement
The castle is formed as a medieval defensive complex built with stone and brick. Its present condition reflects restoration carried out during its later history, including the extensive work undertaken after Giovanni Battista Guglielmi acquired the property in the nineteenth century.
Saint Agatha’s Crypt
The former Benedictine foundation is represented by the crypt of the church dedicated to Saint Agatha. This surviving underground church space preserves the connection between the fortified settlement and the monastery that occupied the locality before its later military use.
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