Oh, what a fine Castle!

Castel Madama is a very lively and easily accessible town. You will see it perched atop a hill between the Aniene Valley and the Empolitana Valley. The Orsini Castle is located at its very center. You can visit it by appointment and during the many events that the Municipal Tourist Board (Pro Loco) and local associations organize throughout the year. Once you step through the large door, you will be immediately struck by the beautiful, elegant Renaissance courtyard. Inside, you will be plunged into the first half of the 1900s. All the furnishings, paintings and photographs of the last owners, Mr and Mrs Vulpiani, have been left untouched. It almost seems as if it is only a matter of time before the famous engineer, who made his fortune in Argentina, and his beautiful wife show up! It feels so amazing to be roaming through a centuries-old house equipped with modern facilities. We recommend you take a look at the bathroom! Oreste Vulpiani also proved to be very generous when bestowing the ownership of the Castle to the Municipality of Castel Madama, which, after a recent renovation, has made it a cultural center in the area.

In the 14th century, the Orsini family had a stronghold in the heart of the Castrum Sancti Angeli, which took on Renaissance traits only in the 16th century, when it passed into the ownership of the Medici. It was at this moment that the fate of the noblewoman Margherita of Austria, daughter of Charles V of Habsburg known as the “Madama”, converged with the story of a town which we strongly recommend visiting! Widowed at the age of 15 of Alessandro de’ Medici, she inherited her husband’s properties, many of which were named after her, such as Palazzo and Villa Madama in Rome and the Castrum Sancti Angeli, which eventually became Castel Madama. The Palio di Madama Margarita, the most important local event, is dedicated to Margherita. It takes place in July, when the community gathers to commemorate the Madama. A great celebration where neighborhoods compete with each other, while locals wander around dressed up as 16th-century nobles and commoners. What else? Games, food, wine, and the equestrian Palio! It is one of the most significant events in the area that you by no means want to miss!