Roccaguglielma
Description
Roccaguglielma is a medieval rocca fort which dominates the town of Esperia and once formed its historic town-centre.
It was built around 1103, likely over older structures, by the Norman William of Blosseville (often written Glossavilla). He also founded the village at the foot of the castle, surrounded by defensive walls reinforced with 12 towers and three gates (Caporave, Santo Spirito, and San Bonifacio). The inner wall had three additional gates (Portella, Santa Croce, and del Morrone). Today, most of these fortifications lie in ruins.
The castle was strategically positioned to control the mountain pass linking Pontecorvo and Aquino with Gaeta, bypassing the non-Norman territory of Montecassino. Together with the castles of Campello, Pico, Rivomatrice, and San Giovanni Incarico, it formed a small independent domain known as the “Five Castles of de Foris,” surrounded by Cassinese lands.
Over the centuries, Roccaguglielma’s strategic importance made it the target of many conflicts. Among its noble owners were the Spinelli (who carried out major works in the 14th century), the Della Rovere, and the Farnese families. In 1497 and 1503, the town was heavily damaged by the Spanish captain Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba. Its most prosperous period was between the 16th and 17th centuries. In 1636, the fief passed to the royal treasury, and in 1654 a violent earthquake caused further destruction.
During the Parthenopean Republic and later the Napoleonic era, the region became a center of brigand activity, with figures like Fra Diavolo and, after Italian unification, Chiavone operating there. Under King Joachim Murat, the area was reorganized: Roccaguglielma was separated from the nearby hamlets Esperia Inferiore and Monticelli, which became the town of San Pietro in Curolis. After Italy’s unification in 1867, Roccaguglielma and San Pietro merged to form the modern Esperia.
Today, near the castle stands a small church of the Trinitarian Fathers, dedicated to the Holy Virgin, built on the site of the castle’s original chapel.
Address
Esperia, Italy
Established
c. 1103