Castrocaro Terme e Terra del Sole
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From high on the rocky spur, the Castrocaro Fortress dominates the ancient village and the Montone valley, offering a bird’s-eye-view of Romagna’s hills and countryside. Its dominant position and the difficulty in reaching it, made this crag an ideal and strategic location.
Documents mention the existence of the “Castrum Aukario” before te 11th century. The Fortress represents a significant examples of composite fortified architecture, in which expansions have been adapted to military needs and to the morphology of the terrain.
The structure is made up of three distinct elements: the Girone, the highest and oldest part; the Fortress (13th and 14th century), and the Arsenali Medicei, protected by a mighty terracotta wall. It houses now MuSA - the Historic and Archaeological Museum and a wine shop for tasting wines and local products.
Some very interesting features are a centuries-old olive tree, the Church of Santa Barbara, the Tower of the Secrets, and the Torture Room. The Castrocaro Fortress also has its legends and ghosts: Giovanni, the fire stoker, abandoned in the dungeons where he died of hunger and thirst and whose laments can still be heard, and the unhappy Margherita who, to escape from an arranged marriage, flung herself from the highest tower, and whose cry can still be heard on moonless nights.
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Castrocaro Terme Parco delle Terme e Padiglione delle Feste
A true jewel of Italian art deco style. The building was inaugurated in 1938 and it’s located within the large thermal park, created at the start of the 20th century as a natural complement to the thermal baths.
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Castrocaro Terme Battistero di San Giovanni alla Murata
Built in the 13th century, it is located in the highest part of the historic centre, near the medieval fortress. It has a circular floor plan and is a true architectural gem.
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Castrocaro Terme Chiesa dei SS Nicolò e Francesco
Dating from the second half of the 13th century, it was originally a church and convent of the Franciscan Friars before becoming a parish church. Within, it houses works of art of enormous artistic value, including the altarpiece (1500) by Forlian artist Marco Palmezzano and the precious 15th century Florentine stucco piece entitled “Madonna dei fiori” (the city’s patron saint).
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Castrocaro Terme Rupe dei Cozzi
Just a short hike from the centre we find one of the biggest outcrops of spungone in the area, in which fossils of shells of ancient marine animals are clearly visible.
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Castrocaro Terme Palazzo Pretorio
Located in the centre of the city, the 15th century Palazzo Pretorio is an elegant Renaissancestyle building. The building has served important political and administrative functions as exemplified by the Criminal Court Room, richly frescoed with the coats of arms of the grand-ducal commissaries who governed over the Tusco-Romagnola province.
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Terra del Sole Pieve di Santa Reparata
Almost certainly of Byzantine origin, the Church dates back to the 6th century.
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Terra del Sole Cinta Muraria
Built around the Terra del Sole city-fortress, the surrounding walls are 13 metres high with a total circumference of 2,022 meters and define the city’s unmistakable physiognomy: a rectangle with four bastions at the corners, each one dedicated to a saint, where the firearms were stored. Inside are the Castello del Capitano delle Artiglierie [the Castle of the Artillery Captain], created as a military structure.