Via Alfonso d'Este 5, 42027 Montecchio Emilia Italy

Halfway between Reggio Emilia and Parma, the Castle of Montecchio Emilia dominates the town historic centre. The beautiful building lies on a place inhabited since the Roman and Barbarian ages, but its first fortified structure dates back to the XIIth Century. The earliest walls rise on a burial ground, along the valley of the river Enza. Its strategic position allows the Fortress to serve as a military post and a symbol of power. During the centuries, the Castle of Montecchio passes from the hands of the archbishop of Parma and his allies Vicedomini, to the hands of important families such as Visconti. During the XVth Century the town falls under the dominion of the Este; in 1562 Don Alfonso d'Este obtains the title of Marquisate for the town and the Castle becomes a noble residence. The Este rule Montecchio Emilia until the unification of Italy in 1861. From the late XVIIIth Century up to the 1960 the Castle serves as a local prison.