Around 1100 A.D. the district around Todi and Orvieto was subject to much contention and turbulence. Numerous castles bear witness to this need for defence and protection. Built around that time, Todi Castle is one of the most beautiful and best-preserved private castles in Umbria. Over the centuries it has been modified several times. Most important was its transformation into a monastery in the 16th century.

The tower has its origins in Roman times. Then it functioned as a watch tower for the Colony of Julia. The tower, located for defense purposes, was built between an important valley approaching the triangle of the Tiber River, the Arnata River and the Roman road Amerina. In ancient roman times, the Via Amerina linked Lazio to Amelia and to Todi, passing between the Via Flaminia and the Via Cassia. The Via Amerina can be found on ancient maps between Via Flaminia and Via Cassia.

Ancient Roman walls found near Todicastle, indicate that the tower most likely served to protect, or fortify, a Roman military route. Thus its placement in such a strategic location.

This strategic function continued into the Middle Ages. During the time of the Lombard King Desiderio (760 A.D.), the territory of the Julia colony was granted to the Pope. Five hundred years later, in 1275 A.D. , this territory became the Diocesi of Todi. This same territory then became the Comune of Todi. The general boundaried of the contemporary Comune di Todi correspond to the area of the ancient Julia Colony.

Between the 10 th and the 13 th century additional towers were built. Thus the original tower was incorporated into a castle fort or fortress composed of three corner towers and an expansive bastion wall. The additional towers expanded the territory controlled from this fortress.

The Comune of Todi flourished during the 13 th century. Its population at the time grew to a level exceeding that of the present day. The Comune maintained a standing army of more than 5000 men and built an enormous system of fortification assuring complete control of the area. The system was composed of dozens of fortresses, towers and fortified walled villages or borghi. Most of these still stand today. Each fortress was assigned to a guarnigione from the Comune, a unit of defence troops responsible for the well-being of the residents of the associated borgo. It was linked to other fortresses and castle forts and by a system auxiliary towers. This allowed for rapid communication across the territory by means of lights used for signalling.

The population of each contado, or area surrounding a given walled village or borgo, was ruled by a civil magistrate appointed by the Comune of Todi. The buildings that comprised such borghi are of considerable importance from an architectural standpoint. In the area they were patterned after the fortress located at Fiore vecchio, that - in turn - is believed by authorities to have been inspired by fortresses built by crusaders in the Holy Land.

Despite the fact that the Comune of Todi had expanded at the beginning of the 13 century to include Amelia, Terni and Narni, its system of fortification would appear exorbitant. However, the reasons this elaborate system stem from the relationship of the Comune to the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire during the ghibellina period of its history, when it sided with the Empire against the Church. It was at Todi that the territory of the Empire met the territory of the Church, along the Tiber River which formed the natural border between these two great political and military systems. In this framework, Torre d'Orlando takes on considerable importance constituting - at the Tiber River valley - one of the Empire's furthest military outposts, beyond which lay the dominion of the Church.

There is testimony and other evidence that, due to this strategic location, many extremely cruel battles were fought at the site of Todicastle. The fortress without any windows was completely self contained. The small openings that can still be seen, were for bow and arrows. Vats of boiling oil were thrown from battlements. In the fortress rain water was collected for drinking. Food for the soldiers and hay for the animals had to be stored in quantity so that they could resist during any siege. Soldiers lived in the towers, and animals lived in the enclosed open area. During a siege, dead soldiers, were buried in this open area. Many bones and skulls have been found. Three or four passages dug under the fortress walls have been found. These were escape routes should they be unable to survive a siege.

Yet Todi's own importance, at its height, was not only due to its military and strategic importance. The routes of communication between Germany and central Italy, including Rome, passed through this territory. Todi could control the flow of pilgrims travelling from northern Europe to Rome and equally, if not more importantly, it could control the flow of goods between the two. In effect, much of the enormous wealth accumulated by numerous Italian comunes during the course of the 1300's was not so much due to agriculture as to their role in commerce.

However, by the mid 14 th century the great political military system of the Comune of Todi had collapsed. This was the result of The Plague of 1348 and a widespread political economic crisis that swept through Italian comunes. At that time Perugia guelfa, partisan to the Church and thus linked to the Pope, attacked and defeated Todi. Perugia, under Cardinal Albornoz, subsequently developed a new military system of fortresses that rendered preceding ones obsolete.

In the years that followed, the fortress of Torre di Orlando - like other fortresses of the Comune - stood in what had become a desolate territory of abandoned villages. The Plague had decimated the local population. Hunger and misery abounded. During this period, known as the "Lower Middle Ages", fanaticism and ignorance were rampant and witch hunts were also common. Todicastle, abandoned during this period, was used by wanderers.

At the beginning of the 15 th Century the fortress was transformed into a monastery. In the north courtyard a roof was constructed and the space was adapted to serve as a church. Still evident are the remains of the capitolo, the alter and the sacristy. Also visible are the places where the vaulted ceiling - that subsequently collapsed - once joined the fortress walls. The church was dedicated to San Quirico.
Approximately two centuries later, the monastery was abandoned and eventually became the object of conflicting claims amongst various local lords. It finished as the property of the Landi family from the nobility of Todi. There are records of a certain Gerolamo Landi in connection with the fortress at the beginning of the 1500's. The remains of his wife were buried in the chapel of the castle where there is an engraved stone commemorating her death. It states that she died from the Plague, in 1523, on the day that the Virgin Mary gave birth. Her phantom sometimes wonders the Castle.

The fortress appears to have been left abandoned for some three hundred years after that, it was acquired by the Paparini family - residing in Todi and the nearby borgo of Moruzze - who were the most important landowners in the area during the late 19 th and 20 th centuries. It was acquired by the present owners from the Paparini family. Over the centuries, the fortress has changed many times not only its owner but also its name. It has been referred to as Casa Arsiccia, Casa Treia, and Capecchio, among others.

Once one of the most important fortresses in the Todi military system, Torre d'Orlando is currently one of the best preserved medieval buildings of historical significance in the area. Now fully restored to its ancient splendor, the current state of the fortress is the result of a ten year period of restoration, (from 1975 to 1985). Most of the original external walls of the fortress remained intact over the centuries. The remainder have now been fully restored. In particular, the large corner tower - constituting the most ancient part of the complex - has been perfectly conserved. The use of local artisans - who still use ancient stone cutting techniques, passed on from generation to generation - was fundamental to the restoration process.

Today, Torre d'Orlando is one of the most stunning private homes in Central Italy. It has been recognised as a historical building belonging to the Italian cultural patrimony. Todicastle has been featured in numerous magazines including Architectural Digest (March 1983).