Historical building, Monterenzio
The Castle of Zena is not far from Monterenzio, about 20 kilometres from Bologna. Located at the foot of Monte delle Formiche, the castle was built at the time of Matilde of Canossa as a fortified structure to defend Matilde's possessions, on the border between Tuscany and Bologna.
Its origins are therefore medieval, as evidenced by an ancient document dating back to 1127 which states that a village called Castrum Genae had developed around the castle.
The rooms of the castle, ranging from the towers to the cisterns to the armoury, reflect the defensive role that the castle had from the time of its construction. Over time, however, the original function gave way to a residential one. Zena Castle became the property of various noble Bolognese families who also made some changes to its structure.
A major renovation was carried out by the Sassoli De' Bianchi family at the end of the 19th century which led to the addition of the battlements and terracotta decorations, following the example of the restorations carried out at the time by Alfonso Rubbiani in Bologna, responsible for the battlements of Palazzo Re Enzo among other things.
During the Second World War, Zena Castle was transformed into the headquarters of a German commando who also installed prisons inside it. For this reason it was repeatedly bombed by the Allies, and later abandoned.
That is why today the castle looks like a ruined building and it is only visible from the outside.
