(Historical news)
Castelluccio Valmaggiore takes its name from the castle built by the Byzantines around 1000 a.C., in official acts it is called "Vallis Maiors Castro." What witness real and lasting advances the cylindrical tower in good solid construction of local stone.
The name Vallemaggiore, indicates that the Castle with a tower overlooking the
valley of Celone river, and it was the point of view on Trajan way landscapes,
and it watches the extensive territory of Troja city (1019).
In fact, the castle was to guard the wide valley through the Celone river,
arising from Aquilone source (San Vito) at an altitude of 1050 meters above sea
level, where it originated the small and hidden stream, so Celone from the verb
"Celo" (in the Middle Ages Celo means “hide”).
The river descends to the valley between the mountains, it receives the waters from the creek and the source of the mountains Perazzone, Vetruscelli and Cornacchia, ie the Foce, Feudo, Freddo source, and other as tributaries, that take the waiter around 70 km into Candelaro river.
The origins
The old building of the city had the shape of an isosceles triangle. It was closed by two major gates: The gate of the Well (Porta del Pozzo) to the west the gate of Piscero to the east.
The defensive walls had
an irregular form, it was formed by private palaces with towers and
fortresses that watching the center of the city
for several arcs: one in via Gradelle not far from the Tower, another
one in Via Osteria, one of Vico Umberto I and II and in Via sotto le Mura. The
two gates, Port of Pozzo and Piscero were at the base of the triangle, and a
third gate was located at the vertex of the triangle.
The castle was built in this last point, which
was the weak and the most vulnerable
side of the country.
The only thing that remains of the Castle is the tower. It is 20m high on a polygonal shape foundation baseline. From this base rises for 16m as a solid cylindrical. The internal
diameter of which is 6.20 m, while the thickness of the circular walls is 2.50 m.
The tower is composed of two floors completely finished, and a third floor which is only just begin constructed.
The top floor is elevated about 14 meter, and from here leads a ladder up through a hole.
The upper floor is about 4 meters high and leads to the terrace where you can enjoy a vast wonderful view, through a spiral stone stair built into the west wall.
