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Cradle of the Malatesta

Cradle of the Malatesta

Although Verucchio boasts an ancient history that is inseparably linked to the Malatesta Dynasty, its roots stretch back far beyond the Middle Ages. In the Iron Age, between the 9th and 6th centuries BC, it was the home of an important settlement of the Villanovian culture, and extraordinary artefacts left by these inhabitants of long-ago are displayed in the civic museum. The present structure of the town, however, is of mediaeval origin, and between the end of the 12th century and 1462 the virtually impregnable fortress of Verucchio was the stronghold from which the Malatesta family dominated the entire coastal plain and a large portion of the neighbouring Marche region. On 31 October 1462, the rule of the Malatesta family came to an end, when the fortress was captured with a cunning stratagem by Federigo da Montefeltro, after a long but fruitless siege. Pope Leo X susequently granted Verucchio the status of a city. It was ruled then by a branch of the famous Medici family from Florence and later by the Pio Comneno family, until after the middle of the 16th century it became part of the Papal State.
Malatesta Fortress or "Rocca del Sasso"
The monumental Malatesta Fortress is a complex of buildings erected in different periods between the 12th and 16th centuries on a small plateau situated at the summit of the rocky peak on which Verucchio stands, from where an excellent panorama can be enjoyed. It was already occupied by the Malatesta family at the end of the 12th century, and was the birthplace of Malatesta da Verucchio or "Mastin Vecchio", the great leader og the Guelph faction who conquered Rimini in 1295, paving the way for the foundation of the Malatesta dynasty. The ruins of the 13th-century construction with its ancient tower can still be seen today, incorporated into the fortress built in 1449 by Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta. Visits can be made to the rooms of the fortress and their interesting displays, as well as to the dungeons and the keep, the roof of which offers breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside.

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