 In 1423, the castle withstood the siege for two long days by Braccio da Montone, giving time for the denizens to organize resistance, but eventually capitulated before the ruthless conqueror.One of the castles of the Contado Aquilano (L’Aquila Countryside), was given by Emperor Charles the V, after a peasant rebellion in 1533 to Antonio Aldana; later it belonged to the Alfieri family from L'Aquila.Poggio Picenze was assigned to the Spaniard Giagiacomo of Léognan Castriota, a talented leader who in 1566 settled there in preference to all his many possessions.