The Castle of Rocchette is located about 15 km from the center of Gallese, on the other bank of the Tiber, and looks like a miniature village perched on the tuff.
Since the fifteenth century the castle belonged to the family of Solimani de'Orsini and had its own jurisdiction. It has always been disputed by the city of Magliano with which Giovan Battista Solimani warred in the early decades of the sixteenth century.
In 1584 the Castle of Rocchette and its possessions were passed for debts by Alessandro Solimani to Cardinal Cesi who put it up immediately for sale. Among the buyers who came forward was even the Community Magliano that had to compete with another buyer, the powerful Cardinal Marco Altemps Sitico, feudal lord of the Gallese castle.
The castle was bought by the Cardinal and, in 1585, became a fiefdom of the Gallese Duke.
In the contract there is, however, a note wanted by Sixtus V in which it is written that the jurisdiction over the area of Rocchette was the Duke, but the territory remained in the Sabina Diocese, i.e. the territory of Magliano Sabina which was the seat of the diocese.
Cardinal Marco Altemps Sitico had to pay the amount of 13,80 scudi, the 'Dativa', to the Apostolic Chamber and not to Maglianese Community.
But the administrator of the Duke of Altemps had already paid the sum to the Maglianese Community and on 26 December 1806 the Government ordered the Community Maglianese to repay the sum to the Duke of Altemps.
But the Community Magliano had not returned the 13,80 shields to the Duke and so he was able to transfer the territory of Gallese to his fiefdom.
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