In 733, the fiefdom of Gallese was bought by Pope Gregory III, and then in 1050 it suffered under the domination of Gerard, Count of Sutri.
It became a town, and was subjected to control by Viterbo until 1298. In this period the town was fortified with walls and towers.
In 1323 the Holy See began repairing the fortress that had seen some families like the Orsini, in 1330, the Spinelli, in 1371. Then the families Colonna, Della Rovere, Carafa, Frangipane and others came.
The castle was destroyed in the time of Sixtus IV and restored by Pope Alexander IV Borgia, in the late fifteenth century, thanks to the architect Antonio da San Gallo.
The new castle was to be surrounded by walls and other embattlement towers. In 1511 Nicola Della Rovere, while Pope Julius II, built a ducal palace within the castle.
In 1579 the estate became part of the possessions of the Altemps family who in 1585 took the title of Duchy thanks to Pope Sixtus V. It was the Altemps who transformed the medieval castle into a palace, entrusting the work to Giacomo Della Porta (XVI century), pupil of Vignola.
In 1851, the last descendant of the Altemps married a French officer stationed in Rome at which time the Pope conferred the title of Duke of Gallese.
Behind the Castello stretches a magnificent park and the mansion is inhabited by the Duke Louis Hardouin.
A legend says that the castle is haunted by the ghost of Violante Carafa who was strangled in a room in the "Amore tragico" in 1559 because she was considered an adultress.
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