History of Sorbello

The origins of the castle as a small defensive fort date back to the 10th century, when Sorbello was only one of many similar forts built by the Del Monte family; a branch of this family chose to establish themselves here (late 14th century), and received the title (and political role) of Marquis of Sorbello, depending directly from the german emperor.

We know that the castle has always housed a marquis and its garrison, but it never saw a village grow around its walls, as happened to many other fortresses: Sorbello remains through the centuries a military center.

According to archive documents, during the 16th century the south side of the castle was largely transformed, following the changes in military architecture; but during the first half of the 17th century, when both the Grand-Duchy of Tuscany and the Papal States seemed well-established, and therefore the border was more quiet, Lodovico the Third decided to transform the castle in a palace, to emphasize the importance of his independent state. He tore down the southern part of the castle in order to build a new courtyard and a second floor. A series of large halls were built: the most impressive, the Salone dei Busti, now hosts a gallery of busts portraying Lodovico's descendants. Even the original throne-hall, the Salone di Giustizia, was enlarged, and the throne was replaced by a beautiful stone-carved fireplace.After the changes made by Lodovico, the castle was more or less as it can be seen today.

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