Roddi Castle
Description
The first document of Roddi castle dates back to the 11th century. However, the certainty that the powerful Falletti family owned property in these parts doesn’t appear until the 1300s. As such, the construction of this castle should probably be attributed to the end of the 1300s.
The property then passes from the Falletti family to the the Counts of Mirandola in 1526 and to the Chiesa family in 1690.
Later at the Congress of Vienna (1814-1815), the Savoy family entered into possession of the castle. The castle became the possession of the state and then the property of the Township of Roddi in 2001.
Architecture
The castle’s structure is that of a central body with three floors, constructed upon a high, steep slope. Two round towers complete its defensive structure, one thin and tall, the other low and the object of numerous additions and rennovations over the centuries.
As regards to the donjon model, the towers of the Roddi castle are rather more domineering and less integrated into the central structure. However, the construction of this main fortress over the years allowed it to adapt to more modern defensive designs, such as the gratings on the last floor. In addition, the castle was protected by a drawbridge that stretched over what is today an all but extinct moat.