8

Fortifications and castles

Castles

Fortified burgh of Scapoli    

Fortified burgh of  Scapoli

It belonged to the Abbey of Saint Vincent al Volturno and stood at the foot of the Mainarde range in a very favourable, commanding and protected position. The village was originally built to accommodate “bachelor” peasants organised to “level” the lands owned by the Benedictines  (Abbot Giovanni II in 982 wrote : “homines conduxit et abitare fecit in castrum Scappili”). A staircase leads to the entrance which is controlled by a circular tower with a steep escarpment. This vaulted passage leads in turn to a covered chemin-de-ronde which today is lit by large openings. The palace of the Battiloro marquis (flanked by the church) is partly hidden by the tower and the chemin-de-ronde, and stands in the most protected corner of the burgh, with a side overhanging the cliff. Few traces remain of the curtain walls that once encircled the village, which are now covered by thick plaster.

Fortified burgh of Scapoli