The location was definitely favorable given its proximity to Regio Tratturo and Via Francigena. And it represented a strong incentive for the growth of the small town of Casalduni on the slope of Mount Cicco, on the right side of the Tammaro River.
At the same time the castle was built, to defend the town, the first official records date back to 1309, but was preexisting, probably from Norman times. It was between 1420 and 1425 that it became domain of the Caracciolo family, then passed into the possession of another important family, the Carafa, when Maria Caracciolo married Diomede Carafa, count of Maddaloni. In 1538 the fief passed to Pietro Sartiano, the new count of Casalduni and his family retained the castle until the half of the 19th century.
The manor, not having moat or drawbridges, was surrounded by a buffer zone separating it from the town centre. In front of the entrance it had a huge cistern, extremely valuable in case of sieges, attacks, emergencies. It also had an angular cylindrical watchtower, while a second tower, called the Tower of the Brigands, stood in the Ferrarisi district, a useful point of sighting, protecting Casalduni and the neighboring villages.
The castle was solid. It was undamaged by the 1688 earthquake, which split the large cliff in front of it in two. The small church of San Rocco, outside the city walls but connected to the fortress, and the church of Santa Maria della Consolazione were also saved, while the town was completely destroyed.
Ceded by the Sartiano family in 1850 to Ferdinando and Vittorio Cocucci, the castle played an important role during the period of post-unification brigandage and when its decline begun and continued through much of the 20th century. Until in 1988 it was acquired by the municipality that started a thorough restoration. And in 1997 it was reopened to the public for cultural and gastronomic events. Part of the building is home to the municipal library.
Nearby, not to be missed, stands a picturesque waterfall formed by the river Alenta.
