Castello di Dinazzano, Medieval castle in Dinazzano, Italy.

Castello di Dinazzano is a ruined medieval hilltop castle in Dinazzano, a hamlet of Casalgrande in the province of Reggio Emilia. Its walls are now crumbling and unsafe, but the keep still stands in good condition, topped with battlements and machicolations. From its position on the Apennine foothills, it once controlled the Canale di Secchia and the plain between Reggio Emilia and Modena.

Dinazzano is documented in 968 as part of the Contado di Parma with Fogliano and Castellarano. In 1180 the castle was held one third by Reggio, one third by the Montemagno, who ceded their share to Reggio for fortification, and one third by the lords of Sassuolo. In 1409 Niccolò III d'Este defeated the Da Fogliano and the castle passed to the Della Sala, then the Boiardo.

The fortification served as a territorial marker between competing noble families who shaped the region's political landscape. Today, visitors can observe how its position relates to other castles scattered across the hills, revealing the network that once defined medieval power in the area.

The site is best explored on foot, as the castle sits on elevated terrain that can be viewed from the surrounding area. Wear sturdy footwear since the approach to the hilltop may be uneven and the surrounding landscape is better appreciated at walking pace.

The castle's walls, now ruined and unsafe, once overlooked both the Canale di Secchia and the whole upper plain between Reggio and Modena. Only the keep survives in good condition, topped with battlements and machicolations. In 1474 the County of Scandiano was split between the cousins Matteo Maria and Giovanni Boiardo, and Dinazzano went to Giovanni; the Este ducal chamber confirmed his investiture in 1475 and again in 1490.