The town and the fortress are the unusual name of a temple dedicated to Zeus on the site. The first historical documention of the fort was in 1191, and ownership was highly contended, because of its strategic location between the neighboring towns of Orvieto , Todi and Amelia.  

Many rooms, terraces, corridors, walkways and 365 windows (one for each day of the year) characterize the castle, also known as the ducal palace or Mattei.  Some rooms are painted in the style mannerist , by Domenichino , by Orazio Alfani and Paolo Veronese.