Castello di Soffumbergo (Faedis)

The site was probably fortified in the Early Middle Ages and maybe also used by the Lombards; during the Saxon times it was certainly occupied by a chapel. In 1025 it was recorded as a Patriarchal fief. In 1184 the castle was referred to as the ancestral home of Mattia and Variendo di Soffumbergo, vassals of the Patriarch of Aquileia. As a “very attractive location”, in 1298 it was chosen by Patriarch Raimund von Thurn (Raimondo della Torre) as “albergo del Principe e della Corte,” a residence for the Patriarch and its Court. However, its feudal lords preserved their hereditary right to reside there; this privilege was confirmed several times and by the 14th century the domini Sophumbergi (Soffumbergo lords) were fully enjoying the patronage of the Patriarch of Aquileia. Their fortunes rapidly changed, however, and after long disputes with the Torriani family and the Patriarch of Aquileia Enrico di Soffumbergo was executed on 24 May 1352. Subsequently the castle was governed by a Patriarchal representative. Soffumbergo Castle, which as a Patriarchal residence had played a prominent role in local history, was probably destroyed after the Venetian occupation of Friuli.