Ruderi Castello Pandone Civita Superiore di Bojano

Behind the small agglomeration of Boiano, on the Matese mountains, there are the ruins of the most ancient castle of Molise.
It was built, most probably, at the beginning of the Longobard domination on the remains of pre-Roman constructions in the highest
point of the town of Civita.
At its time, it was a rectangular construction of a length of 116 m. and a width of 30 m., presented, in addition, a circular tower in the north-west corner.
The study of the planimetric and structural characteristics do not allow to differentiate clearly the Lombard interventions from the Norman ones; the interpretation is made even more difficult by recent interventions that have homogenized part of the masonry. The Pandone castle appears as the emerging element in a vast plain on the slopes of the Matese to control the transit on the tratturo Pescasseroli-Candela.
Nearby were found traits of cyclopean walls that suggest a first fortification sannita reused in later periods. During the reign of Frederick II, the area is the scene of struggles between the representatives of the emperor and Judith, wife of Count Tommaso di Celano. In the Registrum Friderici II is made mention of the Civita: in a document of 19 October 1239 the emperor ordered to demolish the houses built near the fortress and to provide promptly to the maintenance of military structures. The castle includes a shelter intended for occasional refuge for the population, the residence of the
count in the middle part, and the high court.