Italy, Castelnuovo di Porto

Just north of Rome, on the Via Flaminia, on a tuff cliff surrounded by valleys where ravines flow, is Castelnuovo di Porto. It is easy to imagine the etymology of the name where a new castle was built around a thousand AD on an earlier fortress. Although this area has hosted the great civilizations of pre-Roman Capenati, the first official news of Castelnuovo dates back to a Papal bull of Gregory VII in 1074. With this act the first aggregation for families (Castrum Novum) is defined half owned by a lord and half due to the Abbey of St. Paul Outside the Walls. In 1252 the castle was owned by the Colonna who managed it for many centuries even if in an ongoing conflict with the various popes who have succeeded. Since 1581, finally, it was managed by the State of the Church through an agent for revenue. Here was filmed the movie ' L’uomo, la donna e la bestia’ (The man, the woman and the beast) by Spell in 1977.