Terra del Sole

Terra del Sole is one of the rare cities founded from scratch in the Renaissance. It was commissioned by Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, to defend the border with the Papal States: the foundation stone was laid on 8 December 1564. The name is an auspicious one, 'Heliopolis', city of the sun, and the design follows that of the ideal city: a rectangle of walls with four bastions at the corners and two castles at the gates.

At the centre lies the great Piazza d'Armi, one of the largest squares in Romagna, overlooked by the church of Santa Reparata and the Palazzo Pretorio, seat of the grand ducal commissioner. The internal streets are straight and regular, divided into districts: even today the four districts compete in the Palio di Santa Reparata, a crossbow shooting competition in period costume.

Inside the Palazzo Pretorio you'll find the Museum of Man and Environment, with 25 rooms and two routes: the ancient prisons, the halls of justice with the coats of arms of the commissioners, and rooms depicting local life. From the bastions and the Castello del Capitano delle Armi you can understand how the defence system worked.

Terra del Sole shares a municipality with Castrocaro Terme: two kilometres away you'll find the medieval fortress and the thermal baths. A well-spent day combines the ideal city in the morning, the fortress in the afternoon and a stroll through the park of the Terme.