The Fortress

The first document referring to the Fortress dates back to 995 where it speaks of a placitum between the great noble Romagnoli and the representatives of the Archbishop of Ravenna

The defensive structure was enlarged in the twelfth century at the behest of the then countess Aldruda Frangipane. For some years it was a possession of the Empire and, for this reason, it was visited by Federico Barbarossa, who stayed there with his troops for about 6 months. After the end of the Swabian dominion in Italy the Fortress was disputed by the powerful local lordships and in 1302 Dante Alighieri found refuge there.

In the mid-fifteenth century it is home to the court of Domenico Novello Malatesta who began to transform it from a military fort to a palace.

In 1581 the bishop Giovanni Andrea Caligari decides to begin the restoration of the Rocca to make it, in 1584, episcopal seat that will remain so until 1969.

To G. Caligari we also owe the frescoes, executed in 1615 by the painter Corradino Romano.

Since 1994 it has been the seat of the Higher Education and Research University Center of Bertinoro and since 2005 it has also been home to the Interreligious Museum.

Even the Fortress can now be visited together with the Museum.