Castello Manservisi

The imposing Manservisi castle dominates the surrounding valley from Castelluccio, a small village in the municipality of Alto Reno Terme. The building was renovated at the end of the 19th century by Alessandro Manservisi in a neo-Gothic style that reflects the prevailing taste of the time, incorporating medieval elements such as pointed arches, towers and wrought iron elements ( like grates, grilles and rings for tethering animals). The castle interior boasts the "Tapestry Room" with works restored by the Bolognese painter Giacomo Lolli. The canvases on display, executed using a technique that reproduces the visual effect of a tapestry, depict scenes from the daily life of the Manservisi family, portrayed in the Renaissance manner.

The castle remained the property of the family until 1912, when it was donated to charity for poor children. In the following years (until about the end of the 1970s), some parts of the building were used as a holiday camp and hotel, without altering the castle's charm. As a matter of fact, it was chosen by director Pupi Avati as the setting for his 1983 film "Una gita scolastica" (A school outing), which describes the fictional trip of a class from the Galvani High School in Bologna in 1914. On their way from Bologna to Florence, the students also call in at Porretta Terme, spending the night in the castle. Right in the premises of the former hotel, it is possible to visit the LabOrantes Museum, divided into various rooms dedicated to mountain culture (popular religion, women's work, the nest room, the rural fund, life and work in the village).