The Castle of Palo or the Castello di Palo is a medieval fort located in Palo in the Ladispoli municipality. The castle is today owned by the Odescalchi family. The castle stands overlooking the sea where in the ancient time the Etruscan town Alsuim had once stood. The castle had originally been built for defense and the manor is the only structure which is fortified along with the Flavia tower which had been built during the 16th century as a watchtower. The manor itself is imposing and large and still in good condition. A beautiful dense forest surrounds the castle in an area of around 140 hectares.

The History of the Castle
The castle dates back to the year 1500 when it was built on the site of an older medieval castle which had been called Palus because of the extensive swamps which was present in the surrounding areas. Several important people had stayed in the castle over the centuries like Flavio Orsini, Pope Sixtus V, Pope Paul III, Felice della Rovere Orsini, Pope Alexander VI and Francesco Orsini.

https://www.lifeinitaly.com

The Castle of Palo 

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Hidden within uncontaminated woods, lit by the warm light of the Roman countryside,Torre in Pietra is a splendid architectural complex, an open book that tells of centuries of the history of ancient and noble families and famous artists, a truly special place where to hold weddings, events, gala evenings, concerts, meetings, exhibitions, or just go for a guided tour. Visitors to the castle will be struck by its imposing medieval structure, with walls, moat and defence tower, and the architectural beauty of the buildings within it, including the 17th century palace at the centre, and to the right a beautiful 17th century octagonal church the work of the celebrated architect Ferdinando Fuga. The garden, with at it centre an ancient fountain, is shaded by ancient pines and plane trees; lovely courtyards lead to the halls within. The ground floor hosts the vast 17th century Sala Peretti with vaulted ceiling and a splendid fireplace; above there is the main floor, or Noble floor as it is known in Italian, with its halls decorated with splendid and perfectly preserved 18th century frescos.

https://www.residenzedepoca.it

Castello di Torre In Pietra

On the central west coast of Italy in the Lazio region, approximately 40 kilometres from Rome stands Castello di Santa Severa, a striking, ancient structure whose foundations are kissed by the warm Tyrrhenian Sea. Eye-catching and historic, the castle has always been a popular sight to behold, but now, visitors can actually stay inside it. As well as a new museum that comes complete with virtual reality tours, the castle now boasts a bright, modern hostel.
On the central west coast of Italy in the Lazio region, approximately 40 kilometres from Rome stands Castello di Santa Severa, a striking, ancient structure whose foundations are kissed by the warm Tyrrhenian Sea. Eye-catching and historic, the castle has always been a popular sight to behold, but now, visitors can actually stay inside it. As well as a new museum that comes complete with virtual reality tours, the castle now boasts a bright, modern hostel.
Castello di Santa Severa on the west coast of Italy.
Castello di Santa Severa on the central west coast of Italy. Image by Castello di Santa Severa
The first written documentation surrounding the site dates back to 1068, with the castle being built in the 14th century. Over the years, the structure has been owned by noble families, members of the Catholic church, and was even occupied by German military forces during WWII.
On the central west coast of Italy in the Lazio region, approximately 40 kilometres from Rome stands Castello di Santa Severa, a striking, ancient structure whose foundations are kissed by the warm Tyrrhenian Sea. Eye-catching and historic, the castle has always been a popular sight to behold, but now, visitors can actually stay inside it. As well as a new museum that comes complete with virtual reality tours, the castle now boasts a bright, modern hostel.
Castello di Santa Severa on the west coast of Italy.
Castello di Santa Severa on the central west coast of Italy. Image by Castello di Santa Severa
The first written documentation surrounding the site dates back to 1068, with the castle being built in the 14th century. Over the years, the structure has been owned by noble families, members of the Catholic church, and was even occupied by German military forces during WWII.

The site houses a few museums that offer insight into the past.
The site houses a number of museums that offer insight into the past. Image by Castello di Santa Severa
The castle was recently renovated and reopened by Regione Lazio, and now houses a hostel with bedrooms on the first floor, on the Piazza della Rocca, designed for young people and families, while the common room is in the Sala Legnaia on the ground floor. Guests can choose from a variety of rooms, including private and shared, with prices starting from €35 per night at low season.

https://www.lonelyplanet.com

Castello di Santa Severa

Castello Orsini-Odescalchi is a castle in Bracciano, in the Province of Rome, Lazio, Italy. It is located on the southern shore of Lake Bracciano. It was built in the 15th century, and combines the functions of a military defence structure and a civilian residence of the feudal lords of the period, the Orsini and Borgia, both papal families. As one of the largest and best-maintained castles in Italy, it also houses a museum; as a centre of cultural events, the Castello has hosted several high-profile weddings like the ones of Tom Cruise/Katie Holmes, Eros Ramazzotti/ Michelle Hunziker, and Petra Ecclestone/James Stunt.
Geography
The well-preserved medieval castle Castello Orsini-Odescalchi is 3 km (alongside the road leading to Trevignano Romano) from the Bracciano town which is 30 km away from Rome. It is located on the southern shore of the volcanic lake (Lago di Bracciano or "Sabatino", the eighth largest lake in Italy). The railway Line FR3 connects it with Rome (stations of Ostiense and Valle Aurelia) in about 55 minutes. Close to it lie the two medieval towns of Anguillara Sabazia and Trevignano Romano.
The castle's earliest history is inferred to be linked to one of the numerous towers built in the tenth century as a defence against the Saracen attacks, as implied by the ancient name of Castrum Brachiani. In the eleventh century the neighbouring territory was acquired by the Prefetti di Vico family, who turned the tower into a castle. Ferdinand Gregorovius dated the possession of Bracciano by the Orsini to 1234. From 1375 it was a Papal possession.[2][4][5]

In 1419 the Colonna Pope Martin V confirmed the fiefdom of Bracciano in the Orsini family branch of Tagliacozzo. Under this powerful family Bracciano developed into a flourishing town, famous in the whole of Italy for its castle, which was enlarged, starting from 1470, by Napoleone Orsini and his son Virginio. In 1481 it was host to Pope Sixtus IV, who had fled from the plague in Rome; the Sala Papalina in one of the corner towers commemorates the event. Four years later, however, the city and the castle were ravaged by Papal troops under Prospero Colonna, and subsequently a new line of walls was built.[2][4][5]

The construction of the Orsini-Odescalchi Castle was started by Napoleon Orsini of the Orsini family in 1470. It was completed by his son Virginio Gentil, in 1485. Francesco di Giorgio Martini was the architect. Over the centuries of its existence the castle has been the venue of many a conflict between Colonna and Borgia noble families. In 1494 Charles VIII of France and his troops marching against Rome stopped at Bracciano. This act led to the excommunication of the Orsini. In 1496, the castle which was under the Orsini family who were politically well connected and prosperous, attracted the ire of Pope Alexander VI whose son Giovanni di Candia led a papal army and tried to capture it. However, the Orsinis successfully resisted the attack. Cesare Borgia, another of Alexander's natural sons, was unsuccessful in his attempt to take the Orsini stronghold a few years later. During this time the castle underwent modifications with many interior decorations created in the form of paintings and frescoes by Antoniazzo Romano, a Roman painter and sculptor of the 15th century. Pope Sixtus IV, born Francesco della Rovere, had shifted from Rome to this castle during the plague epidemic. At this time, the rooms where the Pope stayed were decorated with frescoes by the Taddeo Zuccari and Federico Zuccari brothers.