Castello di Bentivoglio

The Castle was built in the second half of the 15th century, at the height of Giovanni II Bentivoglio's power, as a “Domus Jocunditatis” (House of Joy), a leisure residence for the noble Bolognese family.

The big foursquare palace, at the time called Ponte Poledrano Castle, features wide windows, a vast and bright courtyard, comfortable rooms, facilities and stables and has maintained the original Renaissance structure even after the restoration work made by the architect Alfonso Rubbiani at the end of 19th century.

The inside treasures some magnificent 16th-century frescoes and later decorations in Æmilia Ars style: in the suggestive hall of the “Storie del pane” (bread stories) an extraordinary cycle of frescoes illustrate rural life scenes, while the decorations in the chapel recall the symbology and the religious life of the Bolognese Lordships.