Castel di Tora is located on the northeastern shore of Lake Turano, the western slopes of Mount Navegna, north of Rome.
Despite there being prehistoric finds in the area (in Jannara cave), the first documentation of the village dates back to 1035 when some chronicles are talking about a Castrum Vetus de Ophiano. The castle was under the protection of the Abbey of Farfa and was a gift from Rusticelli-Guidonisci, Tora Lombard lords in 1092.
The fiefdom also included the ancient "Castrum Antoni", overlooking the mountain stronghold of Antuni. The strategic position of the two castles, properly integrated with watch towers, is a clear sign of their defensive function at the time of the Saracen invasions in the ninth and tenth centuries. The two feudal castles had different histories and different families.
Until 1864, the country was called Castelvecchio. The name Castel di Tora resumed from an ancient settlement known as Tora or the Sabine-Roman ‘Civitas Torensis’. Here, in 250 AD, was the martyrdom of Saint Anatolia.
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