Rocca Malatestiana di Verucchio

It is also called Rocca del Sasso because it stands on the tip of the rocky spur that dominates the town. It is one of the largest and best-preserved Malatesta fortresses, built up in layers from the 12th to the 16th century. This is where Mastin Vecchio, the founder of the Malatesta family whom Dante mentions in the Divine Comedy, established his power.

Inside you visit the Great Hall, the rooms hosting exhibitions, the dungeons, the 13th-century cistern that still works, the rampart, the guardhouse and the clock tower. The climb up the keep ends on a panoramic terrace overlooking the Marecchia valley.

The fortress also houses a collection of medieval weapons: 15th-century armour, arquebuses, a large 15th-century bombard and a model of the first firearm to appear in the West.

Verucchio is just a few minutes from the Archaeological Museum, with its treasures from the Villanovan period: with the combined ticket you can visit both on the same day.