Orsini Castle, Medieval castle in Rivalta di Torino, Italy

Orsini Castle is a medieval fortification in Rivalta di Torino with thick stone walls and towers that display the military construction style of that era. The structure still shows the typical features of a defensive position with its ramparts and bastions.

The castle was established in the early 11th century and served as a protective barrier during numerous conflicts over control of the region. It changed hands multiple times and played an important role in the political struggles of medieval Piedmont.

The castle's name comes from the Rivalta lords, vassals of the Arduinici who held the feudo after the death of Adelaide of Susa and sided with Umberto I of Savoy in 1097. They charged a toll on travellers crossing Rivalta on the road to and from the Alps. The castle also served as a ricetto, where villagers took refuge in wartime.

The castle stands on a rise above the countryside at Rivalta di Torino, reached today by a masonry bridge over the dry moat where a drawbridge once stood. The massive door sits at the base of a crenellated tower, and a large walled park surrounds the complex. Visitors cross the moat and pass through this gate to enter.

The individual stones of the castle walls bear marks that craftsmen carved nearly a thousand years ago. These marks allow historians today to understand the building techniques and even identify individual stonemasons from the 11th century.