The
Wars of Castro were a series of conflicts during the mid-17th century revolving around the ancient city of
Castro (located in present-day
Lazio, Italy), which eventually resulted in the city's destruction on 2 September 1649. The conflict was a result of a power struggle between the papacy – represented by members of two deeply entrenched Roman families and their popes, the
Barberini and
Pope Urban VIII and the
Pamphili and
Pope Innocent X – and the
Farnese dukes of Parma, who controlled Castro and its surrounding territories as the
Duchy of Castro.