Foundation and history
In 1297 Pietro Caetani, Count of Caserta, obtained from the Annibaldi, through the intercession of his uncle Pope Boniface VIII, Sermoneta, Bassiano and San Donato for the sum of 140 thousand gold florins and Ninfa for 200 thousand.
The origins of Caetani Castle, located in the medieval village of Sermoneta, date back to the 13th century when the Holy See entrusted the towns of Sermoneta, Bassiano, San Donato and other annexed territories to the baronial Annibaldi family.
The fortress was already characterised by the Maschio , a 42 metre high tower, and by a counter-tower, called Maschietto .
15th century
In the 15th century, the Caetani family began major expansion works on the Castle. The collegiate church of San Pietro, where the Caetani remains were kept, was incorporated into Piazza D'Armi, and the Camere Pinte, rooms frescoed with mythological and allegorical scenes, date back to 1470.
In 1499 Alexander VI Borgia excommunicated the Caetani with a papal bull and appropriated their assets, depriving them of privileges and rights.
The 1500s
Under the Borgias, the Castle became a military fortress: the walls were reinforced, the Rivellino, or Citadel, and the wall of the patrol walkway were built, the top floor of the Maschio was destroyed and the Church of San Pietro in Corte was razed to the ground, without any respect for the remains of the Caetani family buried there since 1400.
Upon the death of Alexander VI, Pope Julius II in 1504 reconfirmed the Caetani as Lords of Sermoneta.
Caetani Castle has seen the passage of illustrious guests such as emperors, popes, princes and cardinals, and grandiose celebrations, memorable are the honours paid to Charles V who visited the Castle on 2 April 1536 followed by 1000 knights and 4000 infantrymen in 1536 as a guest of Boniface I Caetani (1514-1574).
From 1600 to today
In the 17th century, the Caetani family moved elsewhere, as Sermoneta no longer held the strategic importance it once had, and the Castle began to slowly be abandoned. In the 18th century, it was devastated and looted by Spanish and French soldiers, and during the 19th century, it was rented out as a military warehouse and for food supplies.
Only at the end of the 19th century did the Caetani family return to take charge of it, initiating major restoration work and transforming it into a social and educational centre.
Today the Roffredo Caetani Foundation protects and preserves it, seeking to perpetuate the work begun by the centuries-old family.
