73B – (ITA 25B) – Forli’ – Castrocaro

Castrocaro Terme

Guarding the ancient village and the modern town, stands the imposing and majestic medieval Fortress of Castrocaro, a rare example of composite fortified architecture
Unique of its kind in terms of type and size, the Fortress of Castrocaro is made up of three distinct architectural and defensive works: the Girone, the Rocca and the Arsenali Medicei.

middle age village
Enclosed between the ancient city walls, it preserves intact the access doors, the noble palaces, the Baptistery of San Giovanni alla Murata and the mighty Bell Tower, which with its tolls marks the daily life of the inhabitants.
The medieval village retains an almost intact urban layout, an almost textbook “original habitat”: the castle in an elevated position, then the Citadel, enclosed within the first circle of walls, then, at a distance of respect, the underlying town, crossed by steep narrow and winding streets.
The Borgo is accessed through two characteristic doors: Porta San Nicolò and Porta dei Ciardi, both dominated by the towers of the same name.
From the Porta di San Nicolò you enter the square of the same name, a typical medieval widening with minimal and suggestive proportions, on which stands the Romanesque Church of San Nicolò, of which we have news from 1256. It is known for the valuable cycle of school frescoes Marche, possibly attributable to the workshop of Gentile da Fabriano; on the right side wall there is a small Roman funerary plaque with the inscription ILARUS from the second half of the 5th century. The church is privately owned: for a visit, contact the ProLoco.
Palazzo Corbizi and Palazzo Grazioli overlook via S.Antonio, characterized by the typical Tuscan-style stone portals.
At the beginning of via Postierla there is another typical medieval open space, overlooked by buildings of considerable interest: on the right the Palazzo Pretorio or of the Captains of Justice, originally the seat of the court of first instance of Tuscan Romagna and of the Captain of Justice. The palace, with its beautiful Renaissance lines, was enlarged in 1541 by Jacopo de Medici; above the portal is the Medici coat of arms posted in 1566. Other coats of arms of Florentine captains are posted on the facade.
On the left is the suggestive medieval complex of the Bargello which preserves its medieval charm intact.
Outside the second circle of walls is the Church of San Nicolò and San Francesco.

Spa establishment
In 1830, thanks to a smuggling process of salt water, it was discovered that the brackish water of Castrocaro contained a large quantity of bromine and iodine salts. Thus began the thermal use of this extraordinary natural resource.
In 1887, at the behest of Aristide Conti, the construction of the Terme di Castrocaro began.
In the Thirties and Forties the spa complex was enlarged by Mussolini with the construction of the Grand Hotel, Parco delle Terme and the Party Pavilion, according to the Art-Decò style of the time.
Inside there are:
– the Clinica del Benessere, a center dedicated to relaxation and psychophysical wellbeing with thermal water pools, sauna, turkish bath and saline bath. Thermal water fitness courses are organized, which combine the benefits of water fitness with the beneficial properties of thermal waters;

– Long Life Clinic, a modern facility that uses a scientific program to check the state of health and reset the lifestyle to live longer;

– a modern physiotherapy and rehabilitation center with specialist visits, instrumental physical therapies and targeted rehabilitation programs;

– a fully equipped gym, where qualified personal trainers propose the most suitable training for every need.

Grand Hotel Terme
Splendid building designed by Tito Chini in 1938, at the behest of Mussolini, the Grand Hotel is considered one of the most significant examples of the Italian déco, produced by the ceramic manufacturer of Borgo S. Lorenzo.

Park of the Baths
Splendid early twentieth century garden with majestic avenues that wind through a fascinating itinerary, organized in a real botanical itinerary: from centenary sequoias to holm oaks, from oaks to cedars of the Himalayas and many other trees, flowers and medicinal plants.

Party Pavilion
The Party Pavilion, built between 1936 and 1941 under the direction of Tito Chini, represents the Art Déco monument par excellence with its liberty style finishes and decorations and original majolica.

The Montepoggiolo Castle
The Rocca di Monte Poggiolo rises 6 km from Forlì on a modest hill overlooking the outlet of the ancient road that connects Romagna and Tuscany, through the Muraglione pass.

Terra del Sole

Parish church of Santa Reparata
An ancient parish church dedicated to Santa Reparata, almost certainly Byzantine, dates back to the 6th century and was the first building of worship erected in the whole valley, when the medieval town of Castrocaro Terme did not yet exist.

Palazzo Pretorio or of the Commissioners
Harmonious and imposing building that dominates Terra del Sole from its central position, it was the residence of the Captains of Justice and General Commissioners at the head of the Romagna Fiorentina Province and of the Civil and Criminal Court of first instance, from 1579 to 1772.

Museum of Man and the Environment
The Museum of Man and the Environment founded in 1972, occupies 25 rooms of the Palazzo Pretorio and is divided into two tour itineraries: the historical-architectural itinerary and the ethno-anthropological one.

Ramparts
The defense of the fortress-city was mainly entrusted to the four bastions, which form the corners of the walls: Santa Maria to the north-east, San Martino to the south-east, Santa Reparata to the north-west and Sant’Andrea to the south-west.

Church of Santa Reparata
Majestic 16th century construction by Mastro Raffaello di Zenobi di Pagno da Fiesole, who probably reworked the original project by Baldassarre Lanci, one of the architects responsible for the construction of the fortress city.

Castle of the Captain of the Artillery
The Castle overlooking the Florentine gate towards Florence, is characterized by an angled and star shape and is crowned by the gallery, used by the patrol sentry. Inside there are: the Captain’s Quarter, with beautifully painted wooden ceilings, the tunnel crossing that of the Gate, which allowed the garrison to move from one bastion to another, the Guard Corps “at night” and the “rest stop”. The Castle is surrounded by a hanging park where you can also admire a garden of “ancient fruits”. Attached to the castle is the Bastione Sant’Andrea.

Castle of the Governor or Captain of the Square
The Castle overlooks the Roman gate towards Forlì, also with an angled and star shape, it was the seat of the customs officer after the disarmament of 1772, it has a system characterized by advanced and star-shaped bodies to defend against cannon shots.

 Guida di Simone Frignani

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