By Giuseppe Rinaldini
Over the last few years many of the people that we have met from around Piobbico or Urbania have told us various differing accounts concerning the removal of the “Key stone” or Crest that sat above the archway entrance of Castello dei Pecorari.
Whichever version is the truth, they all seem to have one common factor –that the stone was removed without authorisation from the then owners, and it is reputed to now be in the hands of a regionally based restaurateur.
Old photos – often taken from a distance – gave us some indication of what the original keystone looked like but they were often indistinct or too general for us to get an accurate understanding of what it looked like.
Recently however Giusseppe Rinaldi’s contacted us through the blog and sent us some wonderful photographs of the castel and the archway – reproduced with his permission here – that show the keystone in place as recently as 2000. The evidence that the stone was in place so recently, confirms our suspicion that the stone was stolen from the castle, as certainly at the time of our purchase in early 2006, we enquired of the then owners of its whereabouts, and all were adamant that it had been removed without their permission.
As we rebuild the castle, we would wish to be able to restore the keystone to the arch – it is such an important architectural feature of the Castello, and an integral part of the project.
If any of you reading this blog can help us to identify its current resting place or even discuss with the current holder our desire to re-take possession and install it back in its rightful place, then we would be most grateful
