Founding
Cosimo I de' Medici founds the ideal city of Terra del Sole. The castle becomes its military heart.
A Medici Fortress · Since 1564
The Castle,
Five Centuries On.
Commissioned by Cosimo I de' Medici as part of the fortress of Terra del Sole, Castello del Capitano delle Artiglierie still preserves the character of its original spaces today.
The History
A Fortress
Built to Protect.
Terra del Sole was founded in 1564 by Cosimo I de’ Medici as a fortified town. The Castle stands above Porta Fiorentina, one of the town’s two gates, and once housed the Captain’s residence, the armoury and the guards’ quarters.
Many of its original features remain, including painted wooden ceilings and the former guard galleries. Today, the Castle welcomes weddings, private events and guests staying in its five suites.
The Restoration
Between 2009 and 2018 the castle underwent a conservation restoration, recovering frescoes, coffered ceilings and original portals. Today it is an exclusive-use venue: weddings, private events, five suites to stay in. A five-century-old home that continues to welcome guests.
Timeline
Five Centuries
in Four Chapters.
Medici zenith
The castle hosts captains, ambassadors and official ceremonies of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany.
Heritage status
Recognised as a national monument. Its slow civil and administrative conversion begins.
Rebirth
The decade-long restoration is completed. The castle opens exclusively for weddings and private events.
The Architecture,
Seen from Within.
Five rooms that have crossed five centuries almost untouched. Walking through them is the simplest way to understand the castle.
01 — The heart
Courtyard of Honour
A perfect square, like the city that contains it. Two-storey loggias, a central well, century-old linden trees on either side. The place where the castle breathes.
02 — The great hall
Hall of Crests
Vaulted ceilings frescoed with the crests of the captains who succeeded one another over five centuries. Six metres high, forty metres long. For gala dinners or civil ceremonies.
03 — The garden
Linden Tree Garden
A fragrant garden that wraps around the castle's south side. Geometric flowerbeds, heirloom roses, stone benches. In summer, aperitifs are served here, in the shade of century-old linden trees.
04 — The vantage point
Upper Loggia
Eight stone arches overlooking the courtyard and the Romagna countryside. Sunset cocktails, cigars, wedding portraits in the golden light of late afternoon.
1564Year founded
1 hectareof parkland
5suites
200 guestsup to
The Setting
A Town
Designed to Perfection.
Terra del Sole was founded in 1564 by order of Cosimo I de' Medici, who entrusted Baldassarre Lanci with designing a fortified town on the border between Tuscany and Romagna. Walls, bastions and streets were laid out according to a precise urban plan: not a town that grew over time, but one conceived from the very start.
The Castle stands above Porta Fiorentina, one of the town’s two gates. Once home to the Captain, the armoury and the guard, it remains one of the clearest reminders of Terra del Sole’s original military purpose.
How to Get Here
Getting
Here.
Terra del Sole sits in a strategic position between Romagna and Tuscany, easily reached by car, train or plane from Italy's and Europe's major cities.
- By CarA14, Forlì exit 15 km · 20 minutes from the toll gate
- By TrainForlì Station Bologna–Rimini line, taxi or transfer on request
- AirportBologna BLQ 80 km · 1h by car
Forlì FRL 14 km · 20min by car - FlorenceVia Faentina or A1 110 km · 1h 20'
- SeasideCesenatico 30 km · 35 minutes
Visit It in Person
See the Castle
for Yourself.
Explore its spaces and discover what makes it such a distinctive place for a celebration or a stay.