In the small village of Palena, there stands a castle that hides stories from distant times. Originally built as a Norman tower in the 11th century, it was expanded in the following centuries to become an important defensive structure. The castle has witnessed illustrious changes of ownership, from Matteo di Letto to Sordello da Goito, celebrated by Dante in the "Purgatorio". In subsequent epochs, it became a refuge for dukes and nobles, including the Caldora and Di Sangro families, before being used as a prison in the 17th and 18th centuries. After suffering destruction from earthquakes and wars, meticulous restoration has returned it to its form, albeit without the original towers. Today, the castle is a museum welcoming curious visitors to explore its history and admire the rooms of the geopaleontological museum, the Patinian art gallery, Ettore Maria Marganodonna's works, ceramics, and the exhibition "Palena throughout the centuries" housed within it. A fascinating detail is the reconstructed Control Tower, built in medieval style in the 1950s, equipped with clocks on each facade and a bell tower that marks time for the village.