About La Fortezza

Over a hill, along the Bastardo-Todi road stands this small castle built around a fortified tower with watch function. In a 1295 document the castle is a possession of Zurcio Gottofredi heirs. In 1337 it was attacked by Catalano degli Atti that ruined part of it and two years later it underwent several reconstruction works by Antonio Mariano a noble of Castelvecchio. In 1400 the castle passed to Angelo di Mattiolo. It was further fortified with the construction of the walls and some towers, of which the most impressive is the cylindrical one on the right of the front door (bearing the coat of arms of Todi of XVI). Between 1434 and 1444 it housed inhabitants of Castelvecchio, after their castle was destroyed by Francesco I Sforza, lord of Todi. New defensive works were carried out in 1500. In 1581 Benedetto di Cecco commissioned the painting of the sacred image of the Madonna of Loreto and Child, now in the sanctuary of Our Lady of Castelvecchio, to the painter Pietro Paolo Sensini. In the following centuries it was used as a dwelling of farmers and hosted about 20 people before becoming a private property.