About six kilometers from the town, in an area a bit difficult to reach unless you are a trekking enthusiast, is a stronghold sitting in a high strategic position – the Rocca d’Aries. The origin of its name is uncertain; some believe it is linked to the Persian name Dario, others to the name Darete, mythical companion of Aeneas, others hold that it is from the Latin name ariete, which means ram (montone in Italian), and could come from the name of the town itself.
What is certain is that it is quite ancient, dating most likely to the 6th or 7th century, the Longobard period, and was the first stronghold the Fortebracci family built, who then went on to build the foundations of the entire hamlet and the fortified tower in town called Rocca di Montone or di Braccio.
The two fortresses must have been very similar if not identical, but they had different fates. In fact, the Rocca d’Aries has retained its original rectangular shape, the defense walls, the round tower on one side and the various modifications carried out to make it a dwelling; the central fortified tower, however, is the only remaining part of the stronghold in the village. According to reliable sources, the fort was completely destroyed during three days and three nights in 1478 by a group of five thousand men known as Terrazzani (guastatori or destroyers) sent by Pope Sixtus IV, tired of the constant attacks by Carlo Fortebracci on territories belonging to the Papal State.
The Rocca d’Aries became a possession of the region in 1991.