Castiglion Fosco

The town is located on the top of a small hill of 350 m asl, from which it is possible to see a hill, dominating the entire territory, called Montalvino, 666 meters high. The symbol of Castiglion Fosco is the imposing tower, with a particular cylindrical base that stands out over the town as if it were still defending the boundaries of the castle. still defending the boundaries of the castle.

The parish church of Santa Croce and the Collebaldo bell tower
From piazza della torre continuing towards the inside of the village in via Mattei, you can see in the distance the marvelous crenellated bell tower of Collebaldo, framed by large trees. On the left you can see the main square, born around the well that served as a water storage tank; you can admire the tower and the three bells from another perspective, on the square there is also the parish church of Santa Croce which has acquired its present appearance since 1820, but which is actually a "church within a church". In fact, there are very evident remains of a much older structure dating from the 12th-13th century.

Statue of the Madonna with Child, Church of Santa Croce
The story of this very famous Madonna, built in a single trunk of wood (perhaps olive tree), with a broad and serene smile, red cheeks and a profound gaze that makes it look more like Byzantine iconography than Christian one, does not end here. . In fact, looking in the canonical documentation necessary to certify the ownership of the disputed statue, one of the first organs built by master Angelo Morettini (1799 - 1877), now restored, was found in a closet and accompanies liturgical celebrations with its sound.

Beyond this, by digging a niche, to find a suitable location for the statue after its discovery, on the right wall of the church of Santa Croce, there were those who shouted a miracle again. From nowhere appeared a beautiful fresco of 1523, depicting the Madonna and Child among the Saints, attributed to the school of Perugino. renovation and modernization to enhance it and create new housing units.

Around…
Taking the road to Greppolischieto you pass a beautiful panoramic point at 518 meters high called Poggio della Croce in honor of the cross placed in memory of two soldiers who died during the Second World War. Continuing the road you arrive at another point, even more spectacular, Poggio del Vento where a small church dedicated to the Madonna was built.

The toponym Castiglion Fosco derives from the name of a soldier Fuscus or Fuscius, who received the village that gave him his birth as a gift from the Emperor Otto II, as a reward for having participated in the unfortunate expedition against the Saracens in Calabria: since then identified as Castrum Filiorum Fusci.

Between July and August, the Torre Festival and the Bean Festival take place.