Monteverde Castle was built on the top of the hill overlooking the valley of two rivers, the Ofanto and the Osento. According to some historians, the Castle dates back to the 9th century. It had a trapezoidal layout, cylindrical Towers on four corners and a drawbridge that was still there till the end of the past century. After the Norman conquest Monteverde passed under the control of the Swabians who were replaced by the Angevins until the fief went under the control of the Aragonese in the 16th century.
The Castle underwent several changes in order to adapt its defensive structure to the changing needs. The current look of the Castle is mainly due to the rebuilding that occurred in the 19th century as the Castle had been almost destroyed during the earthquake of 1851.
The village of Monteverde became a fief held by the Orsini in 1444, subsequently it passed to the prince of Monaco Onorato Grimaldi in 1532 and Michele Sangermanno kept it in 1642. The Caracciolo family became Princes in 1689 and ruled over Monteverde until the abolition of feudalism (1806). The building was both a fortress and a private home for nearly eight hundred years as several aristocratic families lived in the Castle from 1059 to 1932, when the last Lord died.
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