Castello Frangipane, Medieval castle in Terracina, Italy

Castello Frangipane is a fortified residence built on Roman foundations that incorporates multiple defensive walls, towers, and reinforced gates positioned to command views of the surrounding land. The structure rises on a hilltop above the town and overlooks the plains and coastal areas around Terracina.

The Frangipane family received Terracina as a papal fief in 1143 and developed the castle as their seat of power. In the early 13th century, local residents rebelled against their rule and seized control of the fortress, ending feudal governance in the region.

The fortress served as the seat of political power for centuries and shaped how the local population understood their place in a feudal system. Today, the structure reflects the tensions between ruling authority and community that defined medieval life in this coastal region.

The castle stands in Terracina's upper town, on a base of rectangular Roman blocks overlooking the plain below. It served as a monastery and retirement home after Pope Pius VI had it disarmed in 1797. A popular initiative led to its restoration from 1996, following severe damage in the Second World War bombings.

The castle also bears the name Rocca Traversa. Its base is made of rectangular Roman-era stone blocks, reused as the foundation of the medieval fortress. In 1797 Pope Pius VI had the castle disarmed, and a new fortress was armed in the lower town, the area he designated for Terracina's urban expansion.