Castle of Ravarano, Medieval castle in Calestano, Italy.

Castle of Ravarano is a medieval fortress in Calestano, Italy, situated on a steep hillside that rises above the Baganza Valley. The structure consists of two rectangular sections connected by fortified walls and decorated with ornamental sandstone entrance portals.

The original fortress was probably built in the early 11th century by the Municipality of Parma to defend against raids from the Lunigiana. In 1214 the Marquis Pelavicino Pallavicino bought the castle from the podestà Baroccio Dal Borgo, and in 1249 his son Oberto II was invested by Emperor Frederick II. In 1267 the Guelphs of Parma took the castle and razed it; in 1297 Parma decreed it could not be rebuilt. Manfredino Pallavicino had it rebuilt in the early 14th century.

In 1444 the Valley Statutes were drawn up by the jurist Guidantonio Gaiafasi and proclaimed by Marquis Federico Pallavicino within the castle walls. They granted broad self-government to the vassals of Ravarano, Casola and Casaselvatica for centuries. Local tradition also tells of a guardian spirit watching over a treasure chest hidden in the castle and never found.

The castle stands at 825 m above sea level on a steep height above the Baganza Valley, not at 686 m. It is reached from the south through a portal opening onto the courtyard; the climb is on foot over steep ground, so allow time and wear sturdy shoes.

Inside the courtyard stands a 17th-century well decorated with the coat of arms of the Pallavicino family, a detail often overlooked by visitors. This ornate well reveals the refined craftsmanship and noble heritage embedded in the castle's everyday structures.