Castles
Castles of Rotello
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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 11th 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.
