Panoramic view of the Rocca del Leone, with its imposing walls surrounding medieval towers and an open-air amphitheater inside. In the background, Lake Trasimeno and its islands create a picturesque scene.

Rocca del Leone

In the town of Castiglione del Lago, after visiting Palazzo della Corgna, from the museum of the same name one enters a covered walkway leading to the majestic Rocca del Leone, from which one can enjoy a magnificent panorama of the whole of Lake Trasimeno and the surrounding area.

Origin and history

The mighty mediaeval fortress is characterised by a polygonal wall with Guelph battlements with four towers and a triangular keep that represented the most important military settlement on the shores of Lake Trasimeno for centuries.

The fortress was built in the 12th century on the ruins of an earlier fortification destroyed in 1091 by Henry IV of Franconia. In 1297, the Perugian magistrates decided to fortify the town and, the following year, decided to build a fortress inside the castle to better defend the inhabitants.

Over the centuries, the medieval fortress underwent major interventions. These included those in the fourteenth century by Lorenzo Maitani (1325) - to whom we owe the façade of Orvieto Cathedral - and those in the sixteenth century, commissioned by Ascanio della Corgna, with a significant extension of the structure and the stately palace, now the town hall.

The fortress was occupied by important figures in history, including the German king Henry VII of Luxembourg (1312), and, among lords and condottieri, Guglielmo di Beaufort (1375), Braccio Fortebraccio (1416), Giampaolo Baglioni (1503), Ascanio I Della Corgna (1550), Diomede I Della Penna (1596).

It was during the latter's residence that the stately palace came to be known as “gli orti di mecenate”, becoming the site of a lively literary salon. In 1647 it passed under the jurisdiction of the Apostolic Chamber and in 1860 to the municipality of Castiglione del Lago.

A scenic route between ancient walls

In the initial walkway leading to the Rocca, tunnels of small loopholes with panoramic views transport the visitor to long but easy stairs, at the top of which a view of the entire Lake Trasimeno opens up. One then proceeds to the perimeter of its walls, an incredible visual journey from which one can observe the lake from every possible angle.

Inside the fortress are also the ruins of a church dedicated to Saints Philip and James, of Byzantine origin and most probably built on the remains of an Etruscan temple.

An open-air amphitheatre

After various restoration works, an open-air amphitheatre has been created in the inner courtyard of the Rocca. Great national and international artists have performed in this wonderful location, such as Patti Smith, Vinicio Capossela and many others. During the summer season, we recommend you stop by after visiting the fortress to attend the numerous concerts, film festivals and theatre performances hosted inside the fortress.

Useful information and accessibility
Useful information:

Phone: 0039 075951099


Email: cooplagdarte94@gmail.com



How to reach the property:

Mura Pathway

You can reach the site by car. There is a public parking lot (paid, blue stripes) outside the ZTL (restricted traffic zone). The pavement is asphalt, with some uneven sections. There are two parking spaces reserved for people with disabilities with the proper permit, located about 50 meters from the entrance of the Palazzo della Corgna museum, which also serves as access to the Rocca del Leone museum pathway. There is also a parking spot designated for individuals with a Rosa permit.

Arena

You can drive to Piazza Antonio Gramsci, from where you can reach the entrance of the cinema arena after a walk of about 250 meters. There is a public parking lot (paid, blue stripes) in Piazza Gramsci, which is outside the ZTL. The pavement of the parking area is asphalt, with some uneven sections. There are two parking spaces reserved for people with disabilities with the proper permit and one parking space designated for individuals with a Rosa permit. The pathway to reach the cinema arena entrance is approximately 250 meters long, on a compact dirt surface, mostly covered by a light layer of gravel. The terrain varies, with flat sections followed by slopes exceeding 12%. The final part of the path is slightly uneven and somewhat rough. Near the entrance, there are slopes of up to 16%, as indicated below.



Moving around the facility:

Mura Pathway
The pathway to access the walkways of the Rocca can be divided into three contiguous sections: the first goes from the entrance of the Palazzo della Corgna to the panoramic terrace, the second traverses the entire walkway between the walls, and the third ascends to the top of the Rocca and reaches the upper perimeter.

  • First Section: Access to the Palazzo della Corgna is via a ramp with a brick surface, somewhat uneven, approximately 11 meters long, without intermediate landings, and with a slope of 19%. There is no handrail. The entrance door is double and, when fully open, has a net opening of 89 cm. This door also serves as an exit. From the atrium, visitors access the ticket office, which has staff available for welcome and information, as well as a bookshop and a souvenir sales point. This pathway has slight changes in height near the doorways, ranging from 4 to several centimeters where not connected by small ramps. The endpoint is the so-called "Sala di Cesare," located halfway through the museum path of Palazzo della Corgna.
  • Second Section: From the "Sala di Cesare," you can access the panoramic terrace, which leads to the "Camminamento" (walkway) within the walls that lead to the Rocca. From the panoramic terrace, the path first consists of two sequences of steep steps, without handrails and with reduced passage width, followed by a long mostly flat stretch that extends for 164 meters, lacking handrails and widening, with a width of less than 90 cm.
  • Third Section: The last section of the path goes from the base of the Rocca to the access to the Mastio, continuing back to the entrance that also serves as an exit and extends along the entire upper perimeter of the wall. Access is via a series of ramps and steps with irregular steps. The upper perimeter walkway has some easy-to-navigate sections in terms of surface and width, while others are characterized by several obstacles due to the presence of different sets of steps. These sections have a passage width of less than 90 cm, and there is a staircase that is not uniform in width and height of the steps, with different pavement materials (stone or wood). Access to the Mastio occurs via a spiral metal staircase. Throughout this section, any handrails present are only on one side. The path is circular with a single direction. 

Arena
The amphitheater is located within the Medieval Rocca, utilizing the natural slope of a hill. At the top, therefore upon arrival, you will find the entrance, the ticket office, the area reserved for people with disabilities in wheelchairs to watch performances, the restroom, the coffee shop, and finally the exit. Near the entrance tunnel to the arena, the last section of the pedestrian path, about 21 meters long, has an inclined and partly curvilinear surface. The ground is compacted dirt and gravel with varying slopes from 16% to 10%.
Upon reaching the entrance, you cross a tunnel about 3 meters long, 74 cm wide, and with a minimum height of 190 cm. After that, you will find the ticket office located inside a wooden kiosk that is raised by one step above the walkway and lacks a connecting ramp. Staff is available at the window of the kiosk, which also serves as a refreshment point. Proceeding into the arena, the ground is dirt with compact gravel covering and some areas with slight changes in slope, both transverse and longitudinal. The area reserved for wheelchair users to watch performances is located near the last row of fixed seats, thus at the highest part of the spectator area. This area is marked with signage. After passing the entrance to exit, you will walk approximately 50 meters on a surface that is sometimes compact but uneven. The gate that serves as the exit leads to a steep downward path with a compact concrete and stabilized gravel surface, lacking handrails. The first part is inclined at 9% and extends for about 4 meters, while the second is inclined at 21% and extends for about 13 meters. The entire path leading to the exit from the Medieval Rocca to the parking lot in Piazza Gramsci varies in slope and has a surface of dirt and gravel.


A bar kiosk is located on a concrete perimeter base less than 90 cm wide, raised by one step, and lacking a connecting ramp. There is also an external refreshment area set up with tables and chairs with pavement characteristics similar to those mentioned for the area.



Use of contents:

Mura Pathway

The structure has 2 informational totems with touch screens located at the entrance of Palazzo della Corgna, which also features a map of the Museum Pathway with an audio guide using QR-Code technology.



Toilet features:

Mura Pathway

The restrooms are located on the ground floor of Palazzo della Corgna but can only be reached via a route that presents various architectural barriers: from the museum's entrance atrium, you need to overcome three sets of stairs, which vary in number and configuration of steps. However, the restroom block is equipped with a unit accessible to people in wheelchairs, allowing for frontal access to the toilet with a horizontal grab bar next to it.

Arena

The restroom block is located in the upper part of the arena and includes a restroom accessible to individuals with disabilities. This facility is inside a wooden kiosk, which is raised by one step on a concrete perimeter base. To access it, you must navigate a small step of 2 cm, a first wooden ramp (25 cm long and with a slope of 20%), and a second metal ramp (90 cm long and with a slope of 13%) that leads directly to the entrance door, which opens outward (width of 82 cm). Lateral access is possible to the right of the toilet, which, however, does not have grab bars. The structure lacks an anteroom.



Rocca del Leone - Mura Pathway
Rocca del Leone - Arena
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