Rossena

I have passed by the castle of Rossena  many times, but I have never got round to seeing the inside of this imposing castle perched high above the surrounding countryside on a basalt outcrop in the Enza valley.The local Diocese who own the castle want to sell it, so I thought I had better make a visit before it was perhaps too late.

Castello di Rossena, RE

 

Castello di Rossena & Rossenella, RE

Unlike its more famous close neighbour Canossa, the castle is still intact. Rossena castle formed part of an extensive defensive system centred on Canossa. A series of castles and towers in visual contact between them meant that a warning of invasion could be passed very rapidly to the main castle at Canossa.

Castello di Rossena, RE

Castello di Rossena, RE

The castle started life as a simple watch tower  in 950 just like the  Rossenella  tower situated a few hundred metres away . The castle slowly took the form we see today under the Correggio family who owned it from the thirteenth century until the beginning of the seventeenth century. The military purpose of the castle still dominates the architecture  and has not been lost during centuries of transformation.

Boiling water would be poured down on univited guests  from the tower,Castello di Rossena, RE

Entrance stairs,Castello di Rossena, RE

 

The castle was besieged  in 1557 during one of the many wars between Italy’s various city states  and a projectile fired from a mortar caused the munitions stored in the top of the  main tower to explode . The tower remains permanently shortened.

Main door,Castello di Rossena, RE

Main door,Castello di Rossena, RE

Visiting the castle one can appreciate the subtle steps that were taken to make life very difficult  for any besiegers who managed to  break through the outer walls. After passing under a tower were boiling water would be poured down from above,  the invader would be disorientated and forced to watch where he was putting this feet by the deliberately uneven staircase. The invader having battered down the door  now  had to pass into a small space with the staircase up to the upper levels. Again from the battlements above the soldiers below would have to run the gauntlet again.

Above the main door, Castello di Rossena, RE

Stairs up to the Piazza d'Armi", Castello di Rossena, RE

The interior of the castle is rather Spartan with to be honest not a lot to see, there are some interesting alfresco fragments in some of the rooms. Some parts of the castle including the dungeon were rebuilt  with little respect for the original structure after an earthquake in the nineteenth century. The castles prison  originally had no doors, just a small window and the prisoners were lowered down into the cell via a hole in the ceiling. It is quite chilling to imagine being imprisoned here when you are standing inside this dark cell.

Piazza d'Armi, Castello di Rossena, RE

Castello di Rossena, RE

Castello di Rossena, RE

Castello di Rossena, RE

Castello di Rossena, RE

 

The “Piazza d, Armi” was very different to how I had imagined it from seeing the castle from the outside.  I had always imagined a little garden.  The view over the surrounding countryside is wonderful.

The food store and water condiut,Castello di Rossena, RE

The water supply for the castle was quite ingenious.  Rain water was collected from the buildings above and channelled into a conduit which channelled the water into a large cistern under the food store.

Castello di Rossena, RE

Castello di Rossena, RE

Castello di Rossena, RE

Castello di Rossena, RE

Castello di Rossena, RE

Castello di Rossena, RE

Castello di Rossena, RE

 

The castle is well worth a visit, the guide explained lots of the little architectural and military details that I would not have noticed on my own and so made the visit fascinating.

Rossenella & Rossena, RE

 

Rossenella, RE

 

Rossenella, RE