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The characteristic town of Fumone is located on a cone-shaped hill between the Monti Ernici and Monti Lepini in the basin between Fiuggi and Alatri, and is isolated and visible from a great distance, so much so that it gave rise to the saying ‘Si Fumo fumat, tota campania tremat ’ (If Fumone smokes tota campania tremat), since in the Middle Ages, smoke signals were used to warn of Saracen and Norman incursions that reached as far as Rome, protecting its safety.
But its history goes so far back that it gave refuge to Tarquinio il Superbo (5th century B.C.) after his expulsion from Rome.
Thanks to its proximity to Anagni, the castle, impregnable, finds itself in the midst of important historical events, including the defence against the siege of Henry IV in 1186, which the castle managed to withstand, or in 1296 the imprisonment of Celestine V, the ‘pope of the great refusal’, who was imprisoned here by Boniface VIII and who met his end (perhaps murdered) in a small cell.
Evidence of this event as well as others are recalled by various relics during the interesting guided tour. From the end of the 17th century, after many passages between various feudal lords, the castle passed to the Marquises Longhi, the current owners.
The old village with its characteristic corners made of Ciociaria stone and the Rocca Longhi-DePaolis fortress is today a must-see stop on a visit to Ciociaria, with its hanging terrace (800 metres above sea level – the highest in Europe).
The breathtaking 360° view is magnificent and on clear days you can see St Peter’s Dome to the north and Vesuvius to the south.
There are many emotions within the mighty walls, the rooms full of works of art and historical relics, and the tale of an intriguing and mysterious story of the death of Marquis Francesco Longhi in the mid-19th century, linked to an alleged family feud.
The child’s embalmed body can still be seen in a cradle built by his grief-crazed mother, whose ghost still seems to roam the castle walls.
The visit to the village and the castle throws us into an ancient and mysterious atmosphere, full of emotions and suggestions of an eerie but fascinating past.
And as in any self-respecting place in Lazio, the visit ends with an unforgettable tasting of Ciocian delicacies in the characteristic medieval tavern.
