Rocca Maggiore – Assisi

Description

The Rocca Maggiore was built around 1173-1174 when the archbishop of Mainz stayed there, and occupied Assisi (PG) on behalf of the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I. In 1198 it was destroyed by a popular uprising and was abandoned until 1362, when cardinal Egidio Albornoz decided to rebuild it tracing the outline of the ancient Germanic fortification. The fortress, a well-preserved and significant example of 14^th-century military architecture, looms imposingly over the historical center below, the narrow gorge crossed by the river Tescio and a great part of the Umbrian valley, extending from Perugia to Spoleto. Following its first defensive function, the fortress then became residence of castellans delegated to governing the territory; it was later used as a prison and then as a warehouse. The entrance leads to the 16^th-century bastion, inside is a courtyard paved with 14^th-century bricks. The keep which served as the castellan’s residence has five rooms one above the other, linked by a spiral staircase.

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