Castello di Villalta (Fagagna)

On the ruins of a castelliere of remote times and a fortress of probable Roman origin, traces of which are still visible today, stands what is considered one of the most evocative castles in Friuli (10th - 11th century).

The manor, built by the Lords of Villalta, a branch of the older lineage of the Lords of Caporiacco, a historical Ghibelline family of Friuli, to which the castle belongs today, was often the scene of bitter fighting due to both its strategically important position and the turbulence of its feudal lords.

During the 14th century it was rebuilt and destroyed several times. For centuries the property of the family of the same name, it also became by marriage a fief of the della Torre Valsassina family, of Lombard origin and already antagonists of the Visconti.

In 1500, the della Torre family considerably enlarged the castle, especially with the construction of the imposing Renaissance wing next to the ancient donjon.

The entire complex, however, has not lost its original configuration as a fortified building, with its high tower, the walls with Ghibelline battlements, the drawbridge and the numerous loopholes. The evocative atmosphere of a "nest of ancient sparrowhawks" is made all the more present by the fact that Lucio della Torre, who was beheaded in 1723 for his bloody deeds, lived within its walls.

Restored and conserved with great care by the Counts Gelmi di Caporiacco, it is now a destination for numerous visitors and cultural meetings, with the aim of keeping the history and traditions of the Patria del Friuli alive.