C | Castello di Collepino

Its cool water has been quenching the thirst of travellers and pilgrims for centuries. It is the first of the noteworthy elements encountered when crossing the Castle’s threshold, set in a small building that was once Collepino’s very first church and later housed the abbot of the Hermitage of San Silvestro.

The crest of the Baglioni dynasty of Perugia, rulers of Spello and its countryside from 1424 to 1585, depicts a rampant griffon with a crown. It was carved in 1515 on Mount Subasio pink stone and placed on one of the two defensive towers at the Castle’s entrance. The other tower houses the monument to those who fell in theWorld Wars.

Supplied, like the fountain above it, by the aqueduct originating in San Silvestro, this was once a social hub, where women met to do their laundry and exchange information. This lavoir, with its three basins, was used until a few decades ago.

In the highest part of the Castle stands a solitary tower, probably once part of a small fortress, the last bastion defending the inhabitants, later demolished. Here, there is a children’s play area and an excellent viewing point.