Levizzano Castle (Castello di Levizzano)

The current configuration of the Castle of Levizzano Rangone is the result of a sequence of centuries-long transformations initiated by its various owners, including the Canossa, Levizzani and Rangone families.

Today, the castle is a fascinating example of fortified architecture beautifully set in the landscape of the Modenese hills. The oldest core of the castle, still recognisable today, consists of a boundary wall hugging the top of a hill. At the centre of the enclosed area stands an isolated tower with a square layout, a structure of stones and bricks with a scarp base, while the top is crowned by corbels and dovetail battlements connected with low arches that support a pavilion roof.

Along the western side of the hill, a long ramp terminates in front of the gate-tower that guarded access to the castle. Also along the western side is the lord’s palace: a heterogeneous ensemble of buildings that, having abandoned the impenetrable marble curtain walls of the medieval fortifications, opens out onto the view of the landscape with spacious loggias. Lastly, in the southern part of the enclosure, is the chapel dedicated to Saints Adalbert and Antoninus.