The Licenza Valley in medieval times
In the early Middle Ages, the Licenza Valley was characterized by the presence of small, scattered settlement units, whose occupants were mainly dedicated to agriculture and pastoralism. The entire valley belonged to the Patrimonium Sancti Petri, divided into two dioceses, that of Sabina and that of Tivoli.
Between 960 and 1012 the Crescenzi-Ottaviani family was the protagonist of the process of consolidating the valley, coming into possession of numerous properties, often to the detriment of the Abbey of Farfa, whose decline had begun with the end of the Carolingian empire.
With the advent of Otto III of Saxony, the abbey recovered prestige and power, reacquiring a large part of its possessions, including the castrum of Castel del Lago, but it was a relatively short historical interlude. Already in the 12th century, many possessions had once again returned to the possession of the noble aristocracy and, in particular, of the Orsini family, with the exception of the settlements of Petra Demone, which remained in the possession of the abbey, and Castel del Lago, a fiefdom of the Colonna family . The 15th century saw a progressive subdivision of the castra between noble families, the opposite process to that which led to their formation (the castle as the sole center of power); to give an example, the castrum of Castel del Lago was under the influence of three noble families: Colonna, Orsini and Atti of Todi. This is the historical period characterized by a process of abandonment of many settlements, a phenomenon which affected in the Licenza Valley the castras furthest from the Licenza river artery and from the valley bottom roads (Castel del Lago, Macla, Petra Demone, Spogna). In this regard, the French historian Toubert hypothesizes that the strongest castras on a productive and economic level survived and that those initially more powerful due to their strategic position on high ground were progressively depopulated.