In the heart of Umbria, towering impressively over the entire Nestore river valley, stands the historic Castello di Cibottola.
The fortress is situated at an altitude of 471 metres in the village of Cibottola, part of the municipality of Piegaro and its prominent position gives visitors truly breath-taking views of the surrounding areas.
The most impressive and characteristic feature of the Castle is its heptagonal tower, which stands 20 metres high and has now become a civic tower; it houses a huge bell weighing 500 kg that was positioned within the tower in 1850 after it was donated by the rector of the University of Perugia, Pietro Tocchi. Some renovation work was carried out towards the end of the 20th century.
The construction of the castle, which is small in size, seems to date back to 1330 according to a certain legend, but other sources suggest to could date back to as early as the first half of the 9th century.
In the Middle Ages, the castle of Cibottola was often visited by important personalities in the military sphere, such as Braccio Fortebracci da Montone, and by representatives of monastic and religious orders, such as St Francis of Assisi and St Anthony of Padua.
The castle houses the Chiesa di San Fortunato and once there was also an ancient hospital.
The complex is now practically derelict and almost entirely privately owned. However, the door of the drawbridge, the entrance door and a good part of the perimeter walls with a corner tower are still clearly visible, and there is also an underground tunnel measuring some 500 metres in length.