Castle of Arceto, Medieval castle in Scandiano, Italy.

The Castle of Arceto is a medieval lowland castle in the centre of Arceto, a hamlet of Scandiano. The lines of its moats and walls can still be traced. Inside, the Thiene counts built an oratory dedicated to Saint Roch between 1565 and 1622, and in 1751 a large internal staircase decorated with five terracotta statues was added.

The fortress first appeared in written records from Nonantola in 883 and later received imperial backing when Emperor Otto I granted it to the Bishops of Reggio Emilia in 962. This early transfer placed it under church control and made it a key power base in the region.

The castle's chapel, the Oratory of San Rocco, was built by the Thiene counts during their administration of the fief between 1565 and 1622, the same period in which they also built the rocca. It is dedicated to Saint Roch, a plague saint widely invoked in the Po Valley.

The castle sits near Scandiano and is reachable by car via local roads to the town. Wear comfortable shoes to explore the courtyards and different levels of the structure at your own pace.

The castle passed to Livia De Mari in 1777 when she married Marquis Andrea Spinola of Genoa; in 1811 a Napoleonic decree returned it to the Spinola family, who later sold it to the banker Parodi, who in turn sold it to Flaminio Regnani. Today Scandiano's municipality owns part of the castle and the piano nobile.