Overview
A striking castle in eclectic style
Rocchetta Mattei is a revival-style castle built in the 19th century on the ruins of the 13th-century Rocca di Savignano. Situated in the northern Apennines, it is located in Savignano, in the municipality of Grizzana Morandi.
The building was named after Count Cesare Mattei, a scholar, politician and self-taught physician. It was he who built an eclectic building, where medieval, neo-Renaissance, Moorish and Art Nouveau styles come together in a unique residence.
The structure was modified several times by the count and his heirs, who made it into a labyrinth of towers, monumental staircases, reception rooms and private chambers that hark back to different eras. Past the majestic entrance, one finds oneself in the central courtyard from which one can then access the numerous rooms of the castle, such as the Music Room, the Peace Room and the Hall of Oblivion.
Also in Grizzana is the house-museum of Giorgio Morandi, 20th century painter and engraver, who lived and studied here until his death. Also nearby is the medieval village of La Scola, one of the most characteristic in the area.
In Montovolo, there is the 12th-century sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin of Consolation. The church of Santa Maria Assunta in Riola, designed by Alvar Aalto in 1966, is ultra-modern.
