Montegridolfo - Italy

Montegridolfo (RN)

Emilia Romagna (Italy)

A line of castles places within walking distance of each other had to defend the Malatesta to the adjoining land subject to the Duchy of Urbino Marche.
Montegridolfo was and 'still guarding the ridge that divides the valley of the basin, on the Romagna region, the valley of the leaf on the side of Marche.
A village completely closed by high walls with access protected by a medieval gate tower, a village in the whole structure, which has seen in recent years restoration work accurate and complete in order to revive the country in one of hospitality, tourism and culture.
Castle Montegridolfo was not a mansion, it 'a military settlement, but a walled village, which is a "deck", rectangular enclosure with tower-door with defense. It was inhabited by craftsmen and wealthy farmers. The name is not 'still uncertain.
Among the various hypotheses, the most 'accredited claims that the name derives from a word of Germanic origin meaning scrubby, rough. Do you know the year of its construction is believed to have occurred around the year 1000.
In 1148 (before certain date) belonged to the abbey of Saints Peter and Paul of Rimini. At the end of 1200 step 'under the rule of the Malatesta. The castle was unfortunately placed in a hot area between the two enemy lord, that of the Malatesta and Montefeltro of Urbino. Were frequent attacks and raids.
In one of them, the soldiers of Ferrantino, allied with the Montefeltro and Malatesta fight with his cousin, caused a lot of damage to the castle. The year was 1336. The Malatesta it began, however, the year after the reconstruction, with higher walls, protected by 4 towers.
The castle remained the Malatesta until 1500, when I 'under the rule of Cesar Borgia. Defeated them in 1503, Pandolfo Malatesta sold the territory to the Venetian Republic, which after six years gave him the papal state.