🌹 Caterina de’ Medici and Virginia Baglioni: the women who brought the Castle of San Michele in Teverina back to life

Every castle has its heroes, but not all have heroines.

The history of the Castle of San Michele in Teverina would not be what it is today without the courage and vision of two noblewomen: Caterina de’ Medici and Virginia Baglioni. To them we owe not only the rebirth of the fortress after its destruction in 1522, but also the feminine imprint that still lingers in the halls, loggias, and stones of the village.

📜 The time of rebirth

• After the siege of 1522 and the destruction ordered by papal troops and the Farnese-Monaldeschi, it was Caterina de’ Medici, wife of Piero I Baglioni, who saved the destiny of the castle. With determination, she obtained from Pope Clement VII the recognition of the land’s ownership and initiated its reconstruction.

• In 1536 the fortress returned permanently to the Baglioni family: among their descendants, Virginia Baglioni stood out as the protagonist of the architectural and cultural rebirth of the manor.

• While Count Alberto Baglioni promoted further works starting in 1569, it was Virginia who envisioned the splendid loggia-terrace, still standing today over the calanchi. Here, in a gesture of timeless pride, she engraved her name into the stone frame, leaving a mark that has become living memory and a symbol of resilience.

🌿 A presence carved in stone

The panoramic terrace is today one of the most photographed spots for visitors to the castle. Not only for its breathtaking view over the valley of the calanchi, but also because it preserves the inscription of Virginia Baglioni: a rare gesture for the 16th century, when few women could “sign” a public work.

Local guides recount this curiosity with pride, remembering how the strength and intelligence of Caterina and Virginia turned destruction into rebirth, shaping not only the architecture but also the soul of the village.

✨ Legends of a feminine presence

In oral chronicles and tourist narratives, it is said that when walking through the frescoed halls and loggias of the castle, one can still sense a sort of protective feminine presence.

Not a frightening ghost, but an aura of guidance and inspiration, as if the spirit of Caterina and Virginia still lingers among the ancient walls, watching over the destiny of the village and its people.

🌸 A story told by women

The story of Caterina and Virginia is today remembered as one of the most identity-defining episodes of San Michele in Teverina.

It is a tale of resilience and modernity: two women able to guide a community through hardship, to rebuild on ruins, and to leave their mark both on stone and on memory.

Their legacy continues in the initiatives for the enhancement of the village, in guided tours and in the narratives that every year attract travelers in search of authenticity.

🌄 An invitation to discovery

The Castle of San Michele in Teverina is not just a monument: it is a place of feminine memory, a meeting point between history, architecture, and identity.

And on the terrace overlooking the calanchi, before the signature of Virginia Baglioni, every visitor can feel part of a dialogue spanning five centuries, where the stones do not only recount wars and sieges, but also rebirth, courage, and vision.