Fornelli’s old historic center is a perfectly-preserved Medieval city that actually dates back to the 10th century. There is speculation that it was probably named Bantra or even Vantra before being called Fornelli.
Fornelli’s main attraction is definitely its walls, towers, and old gates. The Lombards had set up a defensive fortress by the mid-900s but the castle we see today along with the walls and seven towers date to Norman and Angevin rule. Today, the castle’s patrol path (camminamento di ronda) is the town’s best vista point overlooking the surrounding landscape. Three original gates into the village are still present including the main gate, Porta principale, Porta Nova, and Porta Castello.
There are two churches in the old village including San Michele Arcangelo and San Pietro Martire. They are not particularly old by Italian standards as they date to the 18th century.
