Castello Colonna
By leaving Rome on the back and travelling southeast, plunged into the luxurious and fertile valley which widens at the foot of Mount Prenestini, lying down on a tufa hill, there is Genazzano, a pleasant Medieval town, today still well preserved. The old town stretches like a fish bone along the vertical axis of the tufaceous spur on whose peak dominates the Castello Colonna.
The present composition of the column mass is the result of numerous transformations and enlargements: the Colonnas, Genazzano's dominators, built it and inhabited it by transforming it over the centuries from a defensive stronghold into an extraurban luxurious palace.
However the Colonnas were de facto rather than by right feudatories. In fact they had occupied territories through weapons and governed with the tacit agreement of the pontiff without receiving a real feudal power. Therefore we can understand the reluctance of Genazzano's inhabitants to have them governed by the Colonnas: such conflict lasted until 1417, the year when Oddone Colonna came to the papal throne who chose the name of Martino V, the only pontiff who had parentage from this family. Thanks to Martino V there was the transformation of the castle from fortress into a residential castle. At the moment thanks to the restoration works undertaken by the Genazzano local authorities which bought it in 1979, the castle seems to be back to the old splendour: the northern wing and its "Belvedere" were rebuilt by resuming the communication between all the rooms.

Other things to see
Porta San Biagio
The Door is surmounted by an aedicula supported by small marble columns. In the niche it is possible to see a recently restored fresco of a Madonna with a child, identified as "Loreto's Madonna".

Roman Acqueduct
In the westem side of Parco degli Elcini there are still the remains of the old Roman acqueduct, rebuilt by Filippo I Colonna, duke of Paliano, to give water to the Castello Colonna.

Borgo
The Borgo still preserves the original plan born after the convention signed in 1379 by Fabrizio and Stefano Colonna that ruled the building of new houses for people inside the Castle walls.

San Pio (Saint Pius)
Built in the XV century under Pope Pius II, the church has a façade preceded by a double staircase and portico under which is a fresco representing the Madonna in Throne with the Child. In the cloister of the annexed convent of Medieval origin kept by Irish priests there are some gutters frescoed with Scenes of Saint Francis' life by V. Manetti, who also made some frescoes inside.

Casa Brancaleone
It is situated in Via Brancaleone between Piazza D'Amico and Piazza San Giovanni, the main round door has a frame with two dragons which supported the family coat of arms, taken away and presently situated in the cloister of Convento San Pio.

Ninfeo Bramante (Bramante Nymphaeum)
It is situated on what was the Old Garden of the castle. Maybe it was built between 1501-1503 under the papacy of Alessandro VI Borgia who embellished and fortified it. Or perhaps it was built on a commission of cardinal Pompelmo Colonna of Bramante between 1507-1511.

Sanctuary of Madonna del Buon Consiglio
The original Church of Santa Maria dates back to the end of the X century. It was later transformed into a cemetery which is today below the present sanctuary floor. In 1356 Pietro IV di Giordano Colonna gave the parish to the Augustinian hermits who had the monastery of Saint Francis until 1278 outside the town walls, which after being abandoned, fell down in the XVI century. The apparition of the miraculous image of Mary, worshipped with the title of Buon Consiglio (Good Advice), marked a fundamental moment for the church history: rumour has it that the image was detached from a church of Scutari in Albania after the arrival of Muslims, and reached the church of Genazzano accompanied by angels during the 25 April 1467 vespers. The holy image lay on a church wall which at that time Beata Petruccia, widow and Augustinian tertiary lived in the second half of 400 had started to build among many difficulties and that was completed in a short time thanks to pilgrims' charity.

San Nicola (St. Nicholas)
The church, dedicated to the patron Saint Nicola di Bari, is one of the most beautiful and oldest in Genazzano. Situated inside the Fortress, it belonged to the Borgo, of which it was the official church. Pope Martino V, born in Genazzano and baptised here, was particularly fond of it. Thanks to his work it was raised to Collegiate Church and was endowed with privileges and relics. He had the ceiling and Cosmatesque floor where there are fragments of old tombstones and Medieval sepulchres.

San Giovanni (St. John)
The small church is situated in the square below the Castello Colonna. The presbytery preserves, in the wall, a holy water stoup with a superimposed case of holy oils engraved as a bas-relief, both in marble from the XV century and a late Gothic marble column. On the right side of the hall is a marble baptismal font covered with a XV century wood octagonal base dome with lantern.

Chiesa di S. Croce
The church is inside the wall belt and dates back to the X century and was once owned by Subiaco's Benedictines who were the main feudatories of Lazio's territories of the Holy See and thanks to the numerous donations given in the Medieval times they have most of Genazzano's territory.

San Paolo Apostolo (St. Paul Apostle)
The church is in Piazza G.E. D'Amico once called Piazza Reale. Called in the ancient pastoral visits Collegiata Primaria Maggiore e Matrice, the church of Saint Paul Apostle was probably built in the XIII century.

Palazzo Apolloni
The building is in Aragonese Gothic style. Given to the Apolioni family, the so-called Uditorato building was home to the Tribunal of Barone. In 1910 the Palace was purchased by Cardinal Vincenzo Vannutelli who had it restored by architect Giovenale who founded his restoration principle on the building reconstruction through the reproduction of original elements.

Brancaleone
Among the many famous characters born in Genazzano is also Giovanni Brancalcone da Carlonibus, called Brancaleone, born in a house among the most elegant ones structurewise in a town which presently is named after him. A Vassal of the Colonnesis, he took part in many battles including the famous "Defiance of Barletta" in 1503 where he, chosen by Prospero Colonna, was one of the major protagonists. He lived for many years in Genazzano where he died in 1525. The piace of the famous challenge, the town of Barletta, is situated in front of the promontory of Gargano on the banks of the Adriatic sea.
The French, with the tacit support of Pope Louis XII, succeeded in conquering important outposts in northern Italy including the city of Mílan. The rivalry of the Spanish army forced them to fall into a compromise, the famous Treaty of Granata (secretly signed in the winter of 1500) with which it established the division of southern Italy with Calabria and Puglia under the Spanish control and Abruzzo and Campania under the French control.
This division paved the way to the Defiance of Barletta. A number of competitors in thirteen knights with two hostages for cach part, four judges and sixteen knights as witnesses was established.
The knights, lined up in opposíte rows one in front of the other, quickly galloped off. The fight was very violent and after the first there was a second one and then another, with any kind of weapon and vigour, hate and passion. Among the dust, the screams, emotion and the umpteenth assault, ltalians won and gave the final blow to the French.

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