Photo: Wikimedia Commons (see source page)
Abandoned village
Castro
Capital of the Farnese duchy from 1537, Castro was razed to the ground by the troops of Pope Innocent X in 1649, who forbade it to be rebuilt. Today its ruins are swallowed by the woods of the Tuscia.
Visiting
Before you go
- Getting there
- In the territory of Ischia di Castro (Viterbo), near the Selva del Lamone.
- The visit
- Half a day, to combine with the civic museum of Ischia di Castro.
- When to go
- Spring and autumn, when the woods are easier to walk.
- Good to know
- The area is deep in the vegetation: bring hiking shoes and water.
Practical information gathered from official and local sources on 9 October 2026. Opening times and conditions change: always check before you go.
Plan your visit
Where to stay nearby
Affiliate links: if you book from here the site earns a small commission, at no extra cost to you. That is how Borghi Fantasma stays free.
History
Castro was a town in the Lazio Maremma, a few kilometres from today's border between Lazio and Tuscany.
Capital of the Duchy of the same name and an ideal Renaissance city, it was destroyed by the papal army in 1649 and never rebuilt.
Text: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · translated from Italian
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