Rocchetta Mattei, Fortress in Grizzana Morandi, Italy
Rocchetta Mattei is a fortress in the hills near Grizzana Morandi in northern Italy. The structure mixes Moorish arches with Gothic towers, Renaissance elements, and Art Nouveau details across a system of courtyards, passages, and halls.
Count Cesare Mattei began building the fortress in 1850 to practice his alternative healing method, which he called electrohomeopathy. The complex grew over several decades as patients traveled from across Europe and overseas for treatment.
The name Rocchetta was Cesare Mattei's affectionate diminutive for the castle he built above the ruins of an older fortress. He lived there as a medieval castellan, keeping a court that included a buffoon, and received patients who came for his electrohomeopathy. The entrance inscription of 1906 records that his ashes were brought here by Mario Venturoli Mattei.
Guided tours run on weekends between 15:00 and 17:30 and are the only way to see the interior. Sturdy shoes help when walking across different floor surfaces and through winding areas with steps.
The courtyard's central basin is a monolith taken from the parish church of Verzuno, where it served as a baptismal font. In the left corner of that rock-cut courtyard, Cesare Mattei laid the first stone on 5 November 1850 before a few friends. He called the building Rocchetta, an affectionate diminutive of rocca.
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