Casa Fortificata di Sdricca (Manzano)

The fortified house at Sdricca, near Manzano, is a very ancient building. According to local historian Walter Peruzzi, it was probably a Roman observation tower, as traces of a Roman settlement have also been found in Manzano. In the 10th century, at the time of Hungarian invasions, it was used as a safe place by monks from nearby Rosazzo Abbey; the Counts of Manzano, local feudal lords, might have done the same in times of danger. Although there are no historical documents proving that it is of Roman origin, the structure of the castle is certainly similar to that of a Roman villa. It is furnished with corner towers and a tall curtain wall, probably raised in the Early Middle Ages to re-inforce an earlier construction. Seriously damaged in 1509, it was rebuilt in its present form: a four-sided fortified house with two towers, one northern and one eastern, a gallery on its eastern wall and a cross-vaulted ceiling inside.