Perched on the Sant’Angelo hill, the Medieval Castle of Itri dominates the landscape with its majestic presence. Initially, its purpose was not as a noble residence but as a fortress to monitor enemy advances by land and sea. The structure is divided as follows:
• The polygonal tower, dating back to 882, was constructed by Docibile II and includes a cavea at its base, where stables were located and youths were trained in military arts. From the cavea, a small gate offers a view of the Jewish ghetto at Vico Giudea.
• The square tower, built in 950 at the behest of Marino I.
• The cylindrical tower, also known as the “Crocodile Tower,” where it is believed condemned prisoners were thrown to their deaths.
The castle’s interior comprises two habitable floors, each with three rooms. The lower part of the castle was for domestic use, and remnants of a hearth and food storage basin remain. An ancient cistern used for collecting rainwater is also visible. Upstairs, the remains of a fireplace and a fresco of Saint Anthony the Abbot and the Madonna Nursing the Child can be seen.
Ascending the final staircase of the square tower leads to a large terrace with sweeping views of the town and the Gulf of Gaeta.
Damaged during World War II by Allied bombing, the castle was purchased by the Province of Latina in 1979 and later transferred to the Municipality of Itri. Restoration efforts began in the late 1980s and were completed with the inauguration of the main structure in 2003. The walkway and the “Crocodile Tower” were restored in 2007.
