Do you know that Romagna land is plenty of ancient castles? Find out some of the best: San Leo, Verucchio and Santarcangelo The Castle of Santarcanelo: Not far from Rimini, the Castle of Santarcangelo di Romagna stands on a small tufaceous hill 90 meters above sea level – Mons Iovis – guarding the plain below, lined by rivers and streams that flow into the sea. It can be seen from the Via Consolare Emilia. Its walls enclose the unique outline of the town of Santarcangelo, a well-preserved and active medieval village. In 1447 the Castle was rebuilt by Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta to face the new military attack systems, including bombards and culverins. In the following years many people have lived in the Castle, some of them well known, and today it is the residence of the family, which preserves its history, traditions and beauty. Every visitor, every tourist who enters the Castle embarks on a journey into the past helping to keep fortresses, forts and manors alive. The Castle of Verucchio: The current building is the result of many restorations over the three centuries of Malatesta domination. The square tower, cistern and entrance arch were built by Mastin Vecchio Malatesa in the 13thcentury, while the "great hall" and other rooms were added by Carlo Malatesta. Later in 1449, Sigismondo Pandolfo carried out radical re-qualification work. Subsequently owners put the environments to a variety of uses until restoration was started in 1939. The Castle of San Leo: It was a constant subject of contention in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, until conquered by Federico da Montefeltro in 1441. The fortress is a mighty defensive work designed by Francesco di Giorgio Martini and seems to be an extension of the rocky crag on which it stands, a work of both Man and Nature combined, with a majestic beauty all its own. Under the rule of the Papal State the fortress of San Leo became a harsh forbidding prison: Count Cagliostro ended his days in its cells. And even after the unification of Italy in the nineteenth century, the fortress continued to be used as a prison, up until the year 1906. Now a museum, the fortress has collections of armour and weaponry, and visitors can also see the cells of famous prisoners and the impressive fortifications. Price: € 16,00 When: Everyday Language: all languages
