Castello di Montecopiolo, Medieval fortress in Montecopiolo, Italy.

Castello di Montecopiolo is a medieval fortress positioned on a mountain ridge between two river valleys, with multiple defensive walls arranged in concentric rings. The site contains various building structures within the fortifications that show different phases of military use and occupation.

The Castrum Montis Cupioli was built in the 10th century, probably on the initiative of the bishops of Montefeltro or their vassals, the counts of Carpegna. In the 12th century it became the seat of the counts of Montefeltro, from whom the dukes of Urbino descended. In the 15th century the towers were rebuilt round for artillery, and in 1522 a siege by Giovanni dalle Bande Nere damaged it. It was abandoned in the 17th century.

The name Montefeltro derives from this castle: the counts who took their title from Monte Copiolo in the 12th century gave the surrounding territory its name. Their residence here made the rock the founding nucleus of the dynasty later known as the dukes of Urbino. The village below, Villagrande, grew from the population that left the summit in the 17th century.

The site is accessible to visitors through guided tours with archaeological information provided on location. Wear comfortable shoes as the pathways across the ridge are uneven, and careful footing is needed when exploring the ruins.

The castle was never taken by force and remained in the hands of the Dukes of Urbino until the dynasty died out in 1631. A violent siege by Giovanni dalle Bande Nere in 1522 damaged the walls, yet the site stayed inhabited through the whole 16th century.