The Orsini Fortress is located in the high part of the town of Scurcola Marsicana, dominating the plans Palentini with the Salto valley to the north and the Imele valley to the south. From the analysis of the monument has been possible to reconstruct a series of structures belonging to different ages. The most ancient part dates back to the thirteenth century period Normanno-Svevo with a structure of the castle enclosure similar to that of many other fortifications of the area of L’Aquila, as the Castle of San Pio delle Camere, realized by the feudal lords of the family De Pontibus. The structure of the castle fence was based on a pentagonal tower placed highest summit and a boundary wall on a triangular plan that went down toward the valley. Historical sources confirm the existence certain of the castle (castrum Sculcule) at the time of the battle of Tagliacozzo 1268 between Corradino of Swabia and Charles I of Anjou. The transformation of the castle-enclosure in Renaissance fortress dating from the late fifteenth century to the work of the Orsini family. In particular Gentile Virginio Orsini, Count of Tagliacozzo and lord of Bracciano, in 1490 involved Francesco di Giorgio Martini, already engaged in the construction of the fortress of Campagnano, the design of the new structure.
The current structure of the Orsini Castle, has a triangular shape with two cylindrical towers on the corners of the base and a bastion of semiovata form on the strut to the north-west which replaces the pentagonal strut of the previous castle fence. According to the setting of Francesco di Giorgio Martini, the choice of the triangular plan was aimed at minimizing the number of sides offered the besiegers. The defensive system, then, is suited to the diffusion of firearms, with the presence of fire barriers down for grazing defense and the thickness of the walls suitable to withstand the use of mortars. In addition, the walkway was uninterruptedly for the entire perimeter to allow rapid movements.
urp@comune.scurcolamarsicana.aq.it