A castle set in the rock. The Rocchetta Mattei, located just above Riola, in the municipality of Grizzana Morandi, is certainly one of the most interesting and original buildings in the Bolognese area.
Its construction began in 1850 at the behest of Count Cesare Mattei, an important figure in the Bolognese panorama, who around that period, suffering from various political and private disappointments, had decided to retire from city life.
He dedicated himself completely to the construction of the Rocchetta, a real castle with a unique and eclectic style, and to the study of “electrohomeopathy”, a paramedical practice that combines notions of naturopathy with the study of electric charges.
The varied and particular personality of the count is perfectly reflected in the building, where we will be able to observe rooms and towers in Moorish style alongside others in medieval style, perhaps connected by stairs with Art Nouveau decorations.
What certainly remains most impressed in the visitor’s memory are the “Courtyard of the Lions”, a small-scale reproduction of the courtyard of the Alhambra in Granada, and the “Chapel”, whose elegant alternation of black and white is inspired by the architecture of the Mezquita (mosque) of Cordoba.
After the death of Cesare Mattei, La Rocchetta passed first to his adopted son and then to a local merchant, who also exploited the popularity of the building to open a hotel with an adjoining restaurant.
This “commercial” management lasted until the 1980s, when the entire complex was abandoned. Today a large part of the Rocchetta Mattei can be visited thanks to the restorations of the Carisbo foundation of Bologna, which since 2005 has continued with the works to open other parts of the castle to the public.
The Rocchetta Mattei
SP62 Riola – Savignano
Grizzana Morandi (Bologna)
Emilia Romagna – Italy
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