Montebello Castle

Montebello Castle

In Italy, there are castles that still have a special charm, not only for their medieval and suggestive architectural structure but also for the stories and legends that the walls of the castles still tell today. Montebello Castle is located in the hinterland of the province of Rimini, in the town of Poggio Torriana. It is a fortress that can be seen and admired from afar at a height of 436 meters, and it majestically dominates the Valle del Marecchia and the Uso. Anyone who enters the castle's labyrinth can not only admire a beautiful work of art and architecture but also learn about centuries of history and immerse themselves in the pure and wild nature of Romagna.

The history of the Montebello Castle

Montebello dates back to pre-Roman times when the Celtic populations chose this place as a place of worship. The early medieval settlement bore the name of Mons Belli or Mountain of War: the first mention of Montebello dates back to a notarial document dated September 24, 1186, when the castle was sold by Ugolinuccio di Maltalone to Giovanni Malatesta. It was thus the Malatesta family that provided the castle with fortifications, since the territory on which the castle stood bordered that of the rival Montefeltro family. The Montefeltro family first conquered the fortress, then the Malatesta family, until the castle fell into the hands of the Counts Guidi, who still own it today.

The Legend of Azzurrina

The castle was extensively restored in the 1970s and is now a museum whose main attraction is the legend of Azzurrina. Azzurrina is the name given to Guendalina Malatesta di Montebello, the daughter of Uguccione, lord of the castle at the end of the 14th century. The fault of the child was that she was born albino, which at that time was identified with witchcraft or the connection with the devil. For this reason, the little girl's hair was regularly dyed black with a dye that became more and more blue as it lightened. The little girl had beautiful blue eyes, which soon earned her the famous nickname.

On the night of the summer solstice in 1375, the little girl was lost in the snowfield of the castle and was never found again, giving rise to the legend of the ghost of Azzurrina over the centuries. Every summer solstice it is still possible to hear some strange sounds coming from the meanders of the castle. A visit to Montebello Castle will take you inside these fantastic legends, to discover the history of a very special fortress and, above all, to show you the lifestyle of medieval noble families.