Rocca Brancaleone
Situated slightly off-centre, Rocca Brancaleone in Ravenna was built by the Venetians from 1457 onwards. The rulers of the city wanted to protect the area where a wide road leading directly to Venice once passed.
At that time, the coastline was much closer to Ravenna. It reached approximately at the present railway station. It was therefore essential for the Venetians to prevent any attacks from the water by building a large fortification.
Today, Rocca Brancaleone houses one of the city's most popular parks, opened in 1965 by the City of Ravenna, which during the summer turns into a popular open-air cinema.
The building of Rocca Brancaleone
Having a quadrangular plan and surrounded by a moat, the fortress occupies an area of approximately 2200 square metres. At its corners are four towers, used at the time for both defensive and sighting purposes.
As with other defensive fortresses, the function of the Rocca Brancaleone was twofold: on the one hand it had to
protect against possible external incursions, and on the other it acted as a
bulwark against possible rebellions of the people against the city government.
Next to the fortress there was a citadel, also surrounded by walls and reinforced by four towers. This structure provided accommodation for the soldiers stationed at the stronghold, but also housed warehouses, ammunition depots, workshops and other buildings.
The name Brancaleone
Where does the
name of the stronghold come from? According to some theories, Brancaleone was the surname of the man who carried out the construction of the fortress itself, while others believe it to be linked to certain noble families of the time.
The most widely accepted hypothesis today is that the term 'Brancaleone' derives from the union of 'branca', meaning grab, and 'lion', an allusion to the city of Venice, and thus refers to Venetian rule over the city of Ravenna.
Over the centuries, Rocca Brancaleone was the protagonist of
two important battles. The first took place in 1509 and saw the papal armies clash with the city of Ravenna, finally managing to subdue the city after a gruelling month-long resistance. The second was in 1512 and was called the 'Battle of Ravenna', during which the army of the anti-papal coalition attempted to reconquer the city. Following these battles, the fortress gradually lost its military importance.
