Estense Fortress of Trassilico (Rocca Estense di Trassilico)

The fortress of Trassilico occupies the highest and steepest part of a hill on which the settlement of the same name, of early medieval origin, is located. Of the ancient palimpsest of wall structures, now reduced to ruins, only a tower and part of the perimeter walls of the fortress from the Este period remain partially intact. The site, in an exceptional landscape setting, opens towards the west to the Apuan peaks and Versilia, while to the east it faces the middle Serchio valley. Its strategic value was fully recognised throughout the Middle Ages and part of the modern age, and in particular during the Este domination, between the 15th and 19th centuries, as it constituted the southernmost stronghold of the state, protecting the borders with Lucca and Florence. The surviving structure is freely accessible and equipped for visitor access, allowing to explore a multi-layered artefact that has not been fully deciphered by recent archaeological excavations.