The castles of the Po Plain

The castles of the Po Plain, built for defensive purposes during the centuries when struggles between families, towns or overlords made fortresses capable of withstanding enemy attacks a necessity, have generally undergone a great deal of reworking in later, less violent periods when comfortable residential accommodation became the top priority. Even more recently, some have become Town Halls and others museums, while a few are still the private property of ancient families. The castles of Spilamberto, Vignola and Savignano are to the south of Modena, along the line of the via Vignolese; although they were all built to defend Panaro river crossings against attack from the Bologna side, Vignola castle is the best preserved and most architecturally impressive of the three. Its massive central body (with a projecting rampart supported by corbels on all sides), with its tall corner towers, is in typical XIV Century style. The name of the tallest tower, known as the Nonantola tower, reminds us that the fortress used to belong to the Abbey of Nonantola. However, the fundamental structure of the castle (now a museum) that has survived to the present day was created by the Contrari family, feudal vassals of the Este Dukes of Modena, who lived there at the beginning of the XV Century. The rampart walk gives an impressive view over the Panaro valley. The castles of Formigine (now the Town Hall) and Maranello (private property) lie along the via Giardini between Modena and the mountains, while Carpi, on the plain to the North of the city, has a large castle which now belongs to the municipality. Carpi castle is actually a combination of a large number of towers, fortresses, turrets and keeps built at different times between 1312 and 1520, the oldest of which, the tower with Ghibelline merlons known as the Torre del Passerino, is the work of the Bonaccolsi family. The two centuries which followed saw the addition of the Rocca Nuova, the splendid residence of the Pio family, the Rocca di Marsilio and the Rocca Antica keeps, and finally the Torrione di Galasso, with its ornamental turrets. The entire complex was transformed and embellished by Prince Alberto III Pio, who combined the previous keeps and constructed the elegant facade, to which the clock tower was added at a later date. The castle is in a dominant position, overlooking one of Italy's largest squares. The flat lands running towards the Po river also have other castles worthy of note. Finale Emilia contains the "Castello delle rocche", rebuilt by the Este family in the XV Century and then further modified by them for use as a residence. It now belongs to the municipality. Its four-sided ground plan with three corner towers and a donjon is duly imposing and some structural and decorative elements can still be traced, including the dovetail merlons and the postern with the impost which used to support the drawbridge. At S. Felice sul Panaro the castle is again in brick with corner towers, but its modern role is quite different, as it has been restored to serve as the Town Hall and library. The only reason for interest in Mirandola castle is the fame of its former masters, the Pico family, since only a few remains of the fortress have survived (the Palazzo Comunale is an imitation built in Medieval style).

Castles in the Mountains

There are many castles, built as solid fortresses in dominant positions, in the Modena Apennines, and there would be even more of them if we were also to consider smaller defensive structures such as towers and "tower-houses", which reflect a history of local struggles and continuous unrest. We will limit our survey to the most important, best preserved castles. That of Guiglia, in a defensive position overlooking the Panaro valley, is now a hotel. Monfestino castle in the Frignano region is private property, so only the outside can be seen, but the battlements protecting the main entry and a circular tower connected to the walls are in clear view. Montecuccolo is a castle with fortified hamlet; the keep and the rampart walk were restored in the 1980s, in work which attracted criticism because of the use of modern materials such as glass on Medieval structures. Sestola has a sturdy fortress strategically sited above a sheer cliff, reached by a staircase, which offers an attractive view of the town. Near Sassuolo, Montegibbio castle belongs to a consortium of local authorities, who have opened its large park with beautiful old trees to the public. Rebuilt as a residence after the ravages of an earthquake in 1501 and centuries of war, it stands on a hilltop which has been fortified since the X Century at least. The castle at Montefiorino, in the Val Dragone, was originally constructed in the XIII Century by the Montecuccoli family; it has now been renovated as the Town Hall and also as the Museum of the Partisan Republic of Montefiorino. The ancient keep, with traces of a doorway on the second floor, still dominates the restored inner courtyard.