Mirandola Castle (Castello di Mirandola)

Between the 14th and 18th centuries, the Castle of Mirandola represented the most evocative symbol of the power and prestige gained by the Pico lineage. By the early 18th century, the Castle had reached its maximum expansion, taking the form of a veritable citadel separated from the rest of the Mirandolese settlement. The complex, protected by a moat, appears to have been enclosed within a trapezoidal-shaped perimeter whose western side extended towards the countryside through a bastion with orillons. At the north-eastern apex, the nucleus of the palace complex took shape around an inner courtyard, which extended towards the west through a sequence of other buildings including the so-called Galleria Nuova. At the western end of the citadel, isolated from the rest of the castle, stood the imposing tower erected in 1499-1500: a quadrangular structure set on a scarp base and protected by a massive jutting structure. Along the southern side were the service buildings, including warehouses and armouries, while the south-western apex was defined by the so-called Torre delle Ore, erected in 1561 at the behest of Ludovico II Pico and demolished at the end of the 19th century.