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The Rancia Castle owes its name to the ancient granary - named “grancia” after the latin “granica” and the French “grange”- used by the Cistercian monks of Fiastra Abbey at the end of the XII century. For defence reasons the farm was already provided with a donjon, probably originally made of wood, as wheat depots were the first target to be destroyed in case of attack.
The building was turned into a fortress between 1353 and 1357 by the architect Andrea Beltrami da Como by order of Rodolfo II da Varano from Camerino, who was aware of the strategic and military potential of the depot.
When the Jesuits took possession of the Fiastra Abbey in 1581, the Castle lost its military connotations and was restructured as a big farm and used to host pilgrims on their way to Rome. 1782 pope Pio VI came to Tolentino and granted all the possessions of Fiastra Abbey, including the Castle, to the noble family Bandini. The last descendant, Maria Sofia Gravina di Ramacca, in 1974 gave the Castle to the Municipality of Tolentino, who is the actual owner.
Many important events took place here; the most important was the battle fought May 2 and 3, 1815 between the French army led by Gioacchino Murat and the Austrian army led by the General Federico Bianchi, hosted in Parisani-Bezzi Palace, now called Napoleonic Museum.
The battle of Tolentino 1815 has been regarded as the prologue of Waterloo and the first battle of the Italian Risorgimento (the so called “Resurgence”).
opening times:
summer: April - September
morning 9.00-13.00
afternoon 15.30-18.30
winter: October - March
morning 10.00-13.00
afternoon 15.00-19.00
the castle is closed on mondays, on December 25, December 31/afternoon - and on 1 January
admission:
full ticket 4,00 € - reduced 2,50 €
tel. 0733.973349 - info guide:348.0883989 info@tolentinoturismo.it
Via Mariano Pallottini
