A short scramble up the ridge above the hamlet of Orco brings you to the surviving fragments of the medieval castle: a stretch of curtain wall, the stump of a tower, and clear traces of a cistern. The castle was raised by the Del Carretto family in the twelfth century to control the upper Aquila valley and the salt road that climbed inland from Finale.
The walk up is steep but short — about fifteen minutes from the church square — and the view over the valley towards the Ligurian Alps is the real reward. Bring sturdy shoes; the path is rough and unmarked in places. The ruins are unenclosed and free to visit.