The Castle of Reschio, formerly a feud in the valley of Pierle on the border between the Papal States and the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, is today owned by the Bolza family, an aristocratic Austro-Hungarian family of Italian origins, responsible for having started a process of refurbishment of the entire real estate heritage and renovation of the castle.

The origins of the castle date back to around the year 1050 when it was still called with its Roman name “Resculum” and derives from the event known as “incastellamento”, i.e. fortification, that started in Northern Umbria between the 10th and 11th century to cope with the need for defense on one side and for economic and administrative organization on the other.

The exact year in which the fortification of Reschio was erected is unknown, however it is certain that on 3rd May 1202 Uguccione di Ranieri of the Marquises del Monte S. Maria Family submitted to the town of Perugia this castle and its properties along with those of Monte Gualandro, Castel Nuovo, Santa Maria di Pierle, Lisciano, and Tisciano.

In 1355 Emperor Charles IV of Luxembourg decided that all Feuds were freed from protection bonds of which investiture was given or confirmed to said Marquises, whose family thus depended directly from the Holy Roman Empire. Therefore the marquisate became an imperial sovereign feud.

Ranieri di Ugolino was the only member of the Bourbon del Monte family who, after the investiture by Charles IV, did not have the title of marquis of Monte Santa Maria, but was the first one to take on the title of marquis of Reschio, most probably his place of residence.

The handing over to the Montemelini family took place in 1365 when Antonia, Ranieri’s granddaughter married to a member of the Montemelini family, inherited a part of the marquisate of Reschio (including the Castle). Antonia had to defend the Castle from the pitfalls of her relatives, amongst which the toughest one her cousin Cerbone, who had many relatives killed.

In 1593 Fulvio Montemelini, Lord of Reschio, put his feud under the protection of the Grand Duke of Tuscany and was condemned by the Pope for having placed the coat of arms of the Medici on the gateway of the Castle. In 1601 Earl Niccolò, son of Napoleone Montemelini, sold this feud, through the Congregation of the Barons, to Angelo Cesi, bishop of Todi, who made a present of this to his nephew Venanzio Chiappino.

In 1678 the County of Reschio passed to Earl Prospero Cimarra, who purchased it from the Duke of Acquasparta, and then in 1692 it passed to the noble Bichi Ruspoli Forteguerri Pannilini Family from Siena. This important family from Siena contributed decisively to the development of the community of Reschio and inaugurated the first (and only) elementary school of Reschio, thanks to the determination of the teacher Nazareno Carnevali.

In 1932, after 240 years, the estate of Reschio, including a number of farmhouses still part of the propriety to this day, was sold to Professor Angiolo Maria Cenciarini Under the Cenciarini family, the property was dedicated to the cultivation and processing of tobacco.

In 1970s, the whole property belonged to the Counts of Bosca di Roveto, who renovated the castle removing plasterwork in the internal courtyard, bringing some important stone pieces back to light to show and give evidence of all the vicissitudes that affected the building.

In 1994 the Bolza Family, the current owners, purchased the estate of Reschio.

Source: Wikipedia

Useful Info

• GPS Coordinates: 43.2759 12.198686
• Distance: 9,9 km
• Journey time by car: 14 min
• Journey time on foot: 1 h 59 min