A stone’s throw from Renno we come across the Castle of Montecuccolo, where the famous military leader Raimondo Montecuccoli was born, best known for fighting in the Thirty-Year War (1616-48) and in the Austro-Turkish War (1661-1664), in which he halted the Ottoman army.
Majestic and mysterious, and already a strategic military garrison as far back as the eighth century, it was one of the most important sites in the area after the Middle Ages, since this was the point which controlled the borders between the territories of Modena and Bologna, and for this reason was long fought over by Ghibelline Modena and Guelph Bologna.
This fortress is built on a rocky spur and stands out for its dominating position over the valleys of the Dolo and Dragone streams, probably in a position owned by the Ligurians or the Romans.
It is believed that the block of stone on which Roccapelago stands was itself a prehistoric castle.
The ancient castle of Guiglia, like in every ancient settlement, has seen bloody battles between warring factions, fires, earthquakes and has been ruled by various powers who have changed the original design throughout the centuries.
A former fief of the Montecuccoli family, the Rocca di Montese once protected and defended the upper Panaro valley.
The Castle of Pompeano sits on a dark outcrop of undersea volcanic rock, known as ophiolite serpentine. The ancient village looks the very vision of a Romantic image, with its Church of San Geminiano al Sasso, perched on the great ophiolite cliff.
Borgo di Gombola is a fortification surrounded by buildings that can be accessed through an archway of sandstone blocks.
