Five towers, frescoed halls, and a setting worthy of The Traitors? A medieval castle is on the market in Lazio.
Just as The Traitors UK inches toward its final betrayals and the US version posts its strongest streaming numbers to date, it almost feels scripted that a castle seemingly designed for secrets and strategy has just arrived on the market. Perched above the medieval village of Torre Alfina, near Acquapendente in northern Lazio, this extraordinary Italian castle, listed with Christie’s International Real Estate for €13m (approx. $15m), offers a setting where drama is not manufactured, but architectural.
From the moment its fortified silhouette comes into view, the parallels are hard to ignore. Five imposing towers rise above thick stone walls; arched windows frame sweeping countryside views; suits of armor, hanging tapestries, and frescoed galleries set the tone inside. It’s the kind of place where grand entrances feel inevitable.
The castle’s origins date back to the Early Middle Ages, evolving over centuries from defensive stronghold to noble residence. During the Renaissance, it was transformed by the Sforza Monaldeschi family, before undergoing a meticulous late-19th-century restoration led by Count Edoardo Cahen d’Anvers, with architect Giuseppe Partini and celebrated French landscape designers Henri and Achille Duchêne shaping its gardens. What remains today is a rare continuity of history, preserved with intelligence rather than nostalgia.
The interiors unfold across five levels and more than 5,000 square metres of space, housing 35 rooms and 15 bathrooms. A dramatic ground-floor gallery sets the tone immediately, with frescoed walls, marble floors, vaulted inlaid-wood ceilings, and sculptural details that feel museum-worthy yet lived-in. Large arched windows draw the eye outward, grounding the grandeur in its rural Italian setting.
Above, the piano nobile delivers the castle’s most impressive entertaining spaces: an expansive scenic gallery, a formal dining salon, multiple reception rooms, and a wood-panelled library that invites both solitude and conversation. Upper floors offer a sequence of private chambers, guest suites and attic spaces, while the towers themselves provide rooms with panoramic views.
Outside, a Renaissance garden unfolds with measured elegance. Geometric flowerbeds, manicured hedges, and a central fountain create a sense of order and calm, offering a striking counterpoint to the castle’s medieval weight. At approximately 3,280-sq-feet (1,000 square metres), the grounds feel intimate rather than overwhelming – a space designed for reflection as much as for entertaining.
Situated close to the borders of Tuscany and Umbria, the location balances seclusion with cultural proximity, placing historic towns, vineyards, and landscapes within easy reach. It is this combination, architectural gravitas, thoughtful restoration, and geographic poise, that makes the property so compelling.
Castles of this calibre rarely appear on the open market, particularly those offering both authenticity and adaptability. Whether envisioned as a private residence, an intimate hospitality project or a legacy investment, this is a home that doesn’t require embellishment. Long before television made betrayal fashionable, these walls were already telling stories.
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