Castrocaro Terme e Terra del Sole

Description

Castrocaro is a castle mentioned by Dante in Canto XIV of the Purgatorio, where the poet condemns the decadence of the Romagnol noble houses. According to the note to verse 116, Castrocaro is located in the valley of the Montone and was owned by a branch of the Ordelaffi counts of Forlì, while the contemporary castle of Conio, toward Imola, belonged to the counts of Barbiano. The pairing of the two castles illustrates the misfortune of the local lordly families, reduced to unworthy heirs or in the process of extinction, as also happens to the Pagani of Faenza, led by Maghinardo di Susinana.