Description

Casali di Belforte is a hill castle that dominates from an almost inaccessible position over the Nera Valley.

Its defence system consists of city walls with terraced buildings, generally used as very compact cattle-sheds. The castle has kept its original characteristics but it is currently in extremely bad condition. After constant emigration by the inhabitants (a common destiny in this area linked with the mountain economic crisis), the town was, in fact, finally abandoned after the earthquake of 1971.

During the Middle Ages the territory of the castle depended on the Parish of Mevale and the road that led from the parish church through Chiusita was more important than the present one. Oral tradition has kept the Saracen place name of Orto which is not written on any map. The name refers to the episode of the passage (1260).