Borghese Castle
Description
Borghese Castle in Vivaro Romano was the nucleus around which the town developed and the focal point of its history.
History
The castle’s origins likely date back to the early Lombard period, though it is first documented in 1012 as property of the Abbey of Farfa. It was destroyed by fire around 1048.
In the 15th century, the Orsini family rebuilt and expanded the fortress, adding defensive walls with gates, a Baronial Palace, two square towers (one serving as both entrance and prison), and gardens. In 1609, Pope Paul V acquired Vivaro for the Borghese family, elevating it to a principality and restoring the castle; the surviving 17th-century entrance arch dates from this period.
In 1799, during conflicts between the Roman Republic and the Papal States, local insurgents used the castle as a stronghold. Later that year, the inhabitants themselves dismantled and sold much of it for unknown reasons.
Today
Only parts of the complex remain: the three-story Torretta, the base of the second tower, and fragments of the main portal. The ruins were restored in the early 2000s, an open-air theater was added, and in 2013 a museum opened in the Torretta, which now houses the Castrum Vivarii Museum.
Address
Via Mastro Lavinio 41, Vivaro Romano, Italy
Established
11th century