Colvenale Castle (Valfornace)

History of the Colvenale Castle

The castle belonged to the Monaldeschi family, who in 1216 ceded it to the town of Camerino together with the castle of Colpolina, described as standing "opposite". It therefore already existed at the beginning of the 13th century.

Its position was strategic: from here the road linking the valley to the Sibillini Mountains could be watched. Over the centuries the castle was destroyed.

What to see at the Colvenale Castle

What remains of the complex are the foundations and the place name. The stones of the fortress can be recognized in the local houses, where they were reused for building. This is therefore not a castle with halls, towers or walls to walk through, but a site where the traces of a medieval stronghold can be read on the ground.

How to visit the Colvenale Castle

Since only remains survive, there is no building to visit inside. Before setting out, it is advisable to ask the Comune di Valfornace (town hall) about access to the area and the state of the site, and to check the weather conditions.

Where the Colvenale Castle is located

The castle is at the locality of Colvenale, in the municipality of Valfornace, in the Marche region. Valfornace was created on January 1, 2017 from the merger of Pievebovigliana and Fiordimonte. The site occupies a commanding position over the road that climbs toward the Sibillini Mountains.

Around the Colvenale Castle in Valfornace

In the same municipality is the Beldiletto Castle in Valfornace, once the summer residence of the Da Varano, lords of Camerino. In Pievebovigliana, the town hall houses a museum complex with an archaeological section and a section on local history, currently closed because it has been unsafe since the 2016 earthquake. Other fortifications in the area are gathered on the page on castles of the Sibillini Mountains.