Although officially the name is “Borgo Medioevale”, (medieval burg) as it is not a single structure but a complex, in reality it is known by all simply as Castello Della Monica, from the name of the artist from Teramo.
It is composed of the Castle and of two secondary buildings which constitute a sort of medieval village, despite being a structure built between the 19th and 20th centuries. Fascinating legends surround this enchanting place, starting with the reason for its construction, which took place between 1889-1917; 6 A gypsy the artist was in love with predicted that he would die when he finished building his castle, which is why, from 1889, he continued to enrich the building with elements related to literary culture, designing floors and pavilions until the dusk of a summer evening in 1917, when he crossed the door of his castle for the last time surrounded by relatives, friends, leaving the work unfinished.
It is a unique building in the world that has medieval and Romanesque elements.It is framed in Neo-Gothic and Moorish architectural styles, with original arches, columns and sculptures. There are pictorial frescoes representing sacred wars and symbols linked to the Crusader knights. One appears on the arch between the rear entrance and the garden.
In the 1980s, underground tunnels were discovered in the oldest houses in the area that are supposed to be connected to the castle. The castle in fact had an escape route towards the river which leads to the sanctuary of the Madonna delle Grazie. These discoveries gave rise to legends ..
It was thought that the owner of the castle was one of the Knights Templar and that the underground tunnels led back to the Holy Grail…