Montese Tower and Fortress (Torre e Rocca di Montese)

The original nucleus of the Rocca di Montese, placed to defend a settlement documented as early as the first half of the 12th century, was built on a relief in the Modenese hills in a particularly strategic position for the control of the upper Panaro valley. The construction of the fortress can probably be dated to the period immediately after 1197, when the community placed itself under the protection of the Municipality of Modena, which may have favoured the construction of a military garrison as an unequivocal symbol of the city’s hegemony. However, the relationship with Modena remained marked by turbulence while the dominion of the castle passed through the hands of Matilde di Canossa and members of the Monteccucoli family, who were confirmed as lords of Montese in 1299 by the Casa d’Este, a title they would hold until 1697.

The stone structures that make up the fortress have a distinctive layout. The focal point of the fortification system is a single tower around which two enclosures are set: the one on the western side facing the entrance features compact curtain walls with a walkway interrupted only along the south-western side and the north-west side by a building intended for residential use; a second circuit, less complex than the previous one, is found to the south-east.