Castrocaro Terme, a famous thermal spa and holiday destination, is located in the center of Romagna, 10 km from Forlì, on the state road 67 that connects Ravenna to Florence.
The ancient Salsubium of the Romans, known for the richness of its salty waters, took the name Castrocaro in the Middle Ages, deriving perhaps from Kaster Kar (in the Celtic language, ‘rocky spur’), or perhaps from Castrum Cari (i.e. ‘camp of Caro’ or ‘of Carino’, Roman emperors of the 3rd century).
Castrocaro was mentioned by Dante Alighieri in the Divine Comedy, in his famous invective against certain noble families of Romagna. The history of the town spans two different periods: the direct and almost uninterrupted rule of the almost uninterrupted dominion of the Church until 1403 and that of Florence until the Unification of Italy, with a brief parenthesis of the Napoleonic period. During the time it was governed under the Church State by the Archbishops of Ravenna and by noble families, including the Ordelaffi and Manfredi families, the town tried for brief periods to become independent, but always had to resort to papal protection.
Under the rule of the Florentines, it was for a long time capital of the provinces of Tuscan Romagna. Due to its geographical location, on the border with the Church State, and the policy of centralisation implemented by the Florentines, Castrocaro was chosen in 1403 as the capital of the Romagna territories located on the Apennine belt, known as Romagna Toscana or Romagna Fiorentina.
With the construction of the nearby Medici citadel of Terra del Sole and the following transfer of the administrative and judicial offices to the new location, Castrocaro lost its importance.
In 1830, Professor Antonio Targioni Tozzetti discovered iodine and bromine in the local mineral waters, which began to be used for therapeutic purposes again. Since then, the name of Castrocaro is associated with the healing power of its thermal waters.
In 2005 Castrocaro gained the prestigious tourist-environmental quality mark as ‘Borgo Bandiera Arancione’. This mark is used by the Italian Touring Club to certify towns of the Italian hinterland that offer excellent services and quality hospitality.
Terra del Sole or ‘Heliopolis’ was commissioned by Cosimo I de’ Medici and represents a rare attempt to realize the ideal city envisioned by Renaissance men. Its construction began on 8 December 1564.
The “City of the Sun” was built at the behest of Cosimo I, Grand Duke of Tuscany, son of the mercenary captain Giovanni dalle Bande Nere, born from the third marriage of Caterina Sforza, Lady of Forlì, to Giovanni de’ Medici known as ‘Il Popolano’.
Designed by the best architects and engineers of the time: Giovanni Camerini, the planner, Baldassarre Lanci, Simone Genga, Bernardo Buontalenti and Raffaello di Zanobi di Panio da Fiesole, it still looks like a fortress-city, enclosed in a wall, with a rectangular plan, reinforced at the corners by four bastions. As opposed to the pre-existing fortresses of Castrocaro and Montepoggiolo, considered outdated, Terra del Sole fully responded to the new military needs that emerged with the introduction of new firearms.
The Villages are 9 meters wide, corresponding to the height of the terraced houses bordering them, according to the Leonardesque standard.
Inside the walls (2087 meters long and 12.36 meters high), the symmetrical settlement developed, comprising four blocks, two boroughs (Romano and Fiorentino), defended by the Governor’s Castle and the Castle of the Captain of the Artillery, crossed it from Porta Romana to Porta Fiorentina, flanked by four smaller boroughs (Santa Maria, Santa Reparata, Sant’Andrea and San Martino).
The vast Piazza d’Armi is overlooked by monumental buildings such as the Church of S. Reparata and, in front of it, the Palazzo dei Commissari or Pretorio (seat of the Museum of Rural Civilisation), the two powers that preside over orderly civil life, the Palazzo dei Provveditori, the Palazzo della Cancelleria and other palaces.
The medieval Borgo is worth visiting, with its fascinating medieval and Renaissance buildings.
The 15th-century Palazzo dei Commissari, the residence of the Captains of Justice sent by the Florentines during the period in which Castrocaro was the capital of Tuscan Romagna. The Fortress (10th-16th century) dominates the town and can be visited through the town’s historical and archaeological museum, the Medicean Arsenals and the Enoteca (Wine Cellar) of fine local wines, and is often the scene of medieval festivals, concerts and historical re-enactments. The Bell Tower known as ‘e Campanon’, San Giovanni alla Murata Baptistery at the foot of the Fortress. To experience an atmosphere suspended in time, among the sumptuous rooms, sumptuous antique furnishings and refined decorations framed in sinuous walls, one must visit the complex of buildings inside the Parco delle Terme: Padiglione delle Feste, in pure Art Deco style by Tito Chini, and the Grand Hotel delle Terme by Piacentini, are examples of rationalist architecture preserving the charm and elegance of the 1920s and 1930s. It is also possible to visit the farms and agritourisme belonging to the Strada of wines and flavors of the Forlì-Cesena hills.
In Pieve Salutare, a small centre 4 km from Castrocaro Terme, on the main road to Dovadola, there is a parish church that dates back to 955, although it was completely rebuilt at the end of the 19th century.
The parish church, formerly known as Pieve di S. Pietro in Cerreto, has existed since 955. It was damaged by earthquakes in the area over the centuries and was finally destroyed by an unexpected seismic activity in the autumn of 1870. Recently, a small village has been built around the church, where the population of the surrounding area lives. The village offers sports, leisure and cultural facilities.
Since 1973, the parish church has housed the image of the Madonna della Tosse in a small chapel carved out of the original baptistery. Inside there are some quite well made canvases: Saint Augustine and Saint Sigismund in the presence of the Holy Trinity, oil on canvas, painted by the Forlì painter Tommaso Marchetti (1721-1801) around 1797. The Nativity, oil on canvas, from the Romagna school of the 18th century. Madonna Enthroned with Child between Saints Peter and John, oil on canvas, dated 1632, attributed to the Romagna school.
In August, the BEER FESTIVAL is held, a three-day event with fun shows, entertainment and food stalls.
On the second weekend of September, the SAGRA DELL'UVA (Grape Festival) is held, a folkloric village festival with tastings of prestigious grapes. Gastronomic stalls are set up for the serving and cooking of typical Romagna dishes.
Tourist information: Via G. Garibaldi, 46, 47011 Castrocaro Terme (FC) | WELCOME ROOM Castrocaro Terme 0543769631 | 350 519 3970 | info@castrocarotermeterradelsole.travel | www.castrocarotermeterradelsole.travel | www.pievesalutare.it
This itinerary aims to point tourists to the culinary offerings of our land, with a culinary tradition famous throughout Italy.
Romagna, is in fact endowed with very fertile soils from which excellent natural products are obtained that can be enjoyed as soon as they are picked or prepared within sophisticated recipes to be served on the table.
It starts with the best-known and most popular events held in all the towns in the area. In Romagna, in fact, in every season of the year, it is possible to take part in countless festivals.
Monuments, churches, villas, palaces and relevant places
Natural parks and gardens, landscapes and breathtaking sights
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