Opens Sabato 20 Apr '24
Malatesta Rocca
Even from Rimini, in the heart of Romagna, you can catch a glimpse of an imposing fortress on one of the highest hills, surmounted by square walls: It is the Fortress of Montefiore Conca where, according to legend, the souls of two lovers, Costanza Malatesta and Ormanno, the German duke at the service of the Malatesta family with his army of fifty squires on horseback, still roam.
The Castle was built in the 14th century by the Malatesta family and was, as well as a mighty military construction, an elegant residential palace which had the honor of hosting important personalities including the King of Hungary Luigi D'Angiò, Pope Gregory XII and Pope Julius II.
Its position, strategic and at the same time panoramic, allows an overall view of the coasts of Romagna and of the whole valley, up to San Marino and beyond. From there you can admire Romagna, a land with a gentle landscape where the nature of the sea coexists with that of the inland hills, where the gaze finds expanses of fields cultivated in olive trees and vineyards, where suddenly the eyes are enchanted by hamlets positioned on harmonic promontories.
An exciting scenario in which one can get lost in one’s dreams as did the poet Ezra Pound writing the following verses about this place:
“I have tried to write Paradise.
Do not move.
Let the wind speak.
That is Paradise."
In addition to the castle rooms, such as the Emperor's Room with frescoes by Jacopo Avanzi, the Throne Room, some rooms with historical reconstructions and panoramic terraces, the tour itinerary also includes a rich display of archaeological finds uncovered in the waste pits during archaeological excavations, which allow us to reconstruct parts of daily life in the Rocca during the occupation of the Malatesta and Montefeltro families.
The presence of towers, fortresses, walls and castles that still characterizes Romagna and part of the Marche region dates back to the late Middle Ages. In this era the neighboring and often rival families of the Malatestas and Montefeltros fortified all the strategic points giving rise to a real network of defensive structures communicating with each other: once threatening and impregnable, today picturesque corners of peace and tranquillity.
As for 4-legged visitors, we can recommend to tourists traveling with their pets a visit to the Malatesta fortress and its beautiful village, a stop at the Big Bench, and for those who like to walk more, we remember the 60 km of CAI trails, newly cleaned, mapped and marked.
Trail maps are available at the rock ticket office and are free!
Remember that Big Bench passports and stamps are also available at the ticket office.
