The Rocca Roveresca of Mondavio

What it is and where it is

Brilliant insight underlies the most original works. Such is the case with the Rocca Roveresca, an impregnable fortress designed by the imaginative military architect Francesco di Giorgio Martini, commissioned by Giovanni della Rovere, lord of Senigallia and the Vicariate of Mondavio. Martini devised an octagonal-shaped keep, with trapezoidal and sloping outer walls, to oppose enemy shellfire not with a frontal wall but with elusive edges and perspectives. The keep, with its reinforcing turret and semi-circular keep, rises protected by high walls and a deep moat in the heart of Mondavio, in perfect harmony with the architectural fabric of this village.

Why it is special

Between underground passages and winding staircases, a visit to the Rocca has an irresistible charm. In the Historical Reenactment Museum housed on the five floors of the keep, reconstructions of scenes from Renaissance life-the wedding banquet, the stables, the kitchen-dive us into the past and display weapons, armor and instruments of torture. Huge war machines, reconstructed according to Martini's designs, stand in the moat of the fortress.

Not to be missed

From August 13 to 15, Mondavio organizes the historical re-enactment of wild boar hunting. On this occasion the Rocca Roveresca fortress and the historic center become the stage for staging the history of the village. There is no shortage of archery competitions by the Historic Archers of Mondavio, musicians and theatrical performers in Renaissance costume, and banquets with typical local products.

Historical reenactment

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