Castello di Pieve di Cadore, Medieval castle on Monte Ricco in Pieve di Cadore, Italy.
Castello di Pieve di Cadore is a stone fortress perched on Monte Ricco where the Boite and Piave rivers meet, built with a quadrangular design that rises across multiple levels. The surviving walls reveal how the structure once dominated the landscape from this elevated position.
This fortress was built before the 10th century as the first fortified position in Cadore, establishing itself as a critical defense point for the emerging region. It later became the administrative seat of Magnifica Comunità Cadorina, cementing its role in local governance.
The fortress appears in Cadore's coat of arms alongside Castello di Botestagno, marking how these two sites shaped perceptions of regional power. Locals connect this place to their territorial identity and the region's medieval roots.
Marked paths lead from Pieve di Cadore up to the ruins, making the site accessible for most visitors willing to walk uphill. The elevated location means clearer visibility of the surrounding valleys and river courses below.
Before the medieval fortress was built, this location served as a sacred pagan site, showing continuous human reverence for the place across centuries. This layering of different spiritual uses reveals how the hilltop attracted people long before stone walls were raised.
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