Gradara : If you love Romeo and Juliet, go to Gradara !
When we left the town of Rimini, located on the Adriatic coast of Italy at the southern edge of the province of Emilia Romagna, and headed south to the neighboring region of Marche (in English “the Marches”), I did not expect to see much in terms of scenery or landscape. Italy was about to surprise and delight me once again!
The coastline of Italy on the Adriatic Sea, all the way from Trieste in the far north of Italy down to Rimini in Romagna, is totally flat and at sea level. Driving along the sea shore in Romagna, one sees an endless and uninterrupted row of hotels and resort towns, built to take advantage of the beautiful beaches along the shore.
However, as soon as we crossed into the Marches region a few miles south of Rimini, the scenery miraculously changed to one of green rolling hills, small Roman and Medieval towns perched on the hilltops or hidden in sea level coves, and quaint and quiet country roads wimding through a rural landscape seemingly forgotten by the modern world.
The whole area is so idyllic that the Italian government finally decided in 1994 to declare it a national park, called Parco del Monte San Bartolo, in order to protect the area from excessive development.
As we drove south through the park, admiring on the left the cliffs leading into a sparkling Adriatic Sea and on the right the green rolling hills dotted with farms, villas and vineyards, we suddenly noticed a beautiful castle on a choice hilltop location in the distance.
“Have you read the Divine Comedy by Dante?” asked our guide. “In 1310 or so, Dante Alighieri wrote about this castle, the Castle of Gradara, in his poem the Divine Comedy. He told the tragic love story of Paolo and Francesca, a true story which took place in that castle, and which later inspired Shakespeare to create the fictional Romeo and Juliet story.”
That tidbit of information was enough for us to change direction and head straight for Gradara and its magnificent, fully restored castle.
Francesca da Rimini was a contemporary of Dante, and she had been tricked into marrying Gianciotto “Crippled John” Malatesta, who lived in the Castle of Gradara. She actually was in love with Gianciotto’s brother, Paolo. When Gianciotto found out about the two lovers, he killed them both.
I was excited at the thought of visiting a castle associated with Dante, Paolo and Francesca, and indirectly with Romeo and Juliet. But there was much more to come.
It turns out that the castle of Gradara in 1289 became the property of the Sforza family, and I recognized the name immediately from having watched the Showtime series “the Borgias”.
The Castle of Gradara, home to Paolo and Francesca in the thirteenth century, became the home of Lucrezia Borgia a couple of centuries later when she married Giovanni Sforza, Lord of Pesaro and Gradara. That is the Giovanni Sforza whose unique place in history was assured when he later signed confessions of impotence, presumably under duress, in order to permit the annulment of his marriage to Lucrezia Borgia.
How many castles do you know of with such a rich history of famous love and death?
The Castle of Gradara consists not only of the castle itself but also of an ancient well preserved and renovated town protected by a double wall of fortifications. The main street leading up to the castle is lined with charming small shops and restaurants. Walking around the old town and its fortifications offers numerous vantage points for beautiful views of the coast and the Adriatic Sea. In other words, the whole place is an ideal tourist destination!
Because of time constraints, we did not have the time to enter and tour the castle itself. Perhaps I just wanted to have a good reason to want to return? Or perhaps I am hoping that some of the readers of BonVoyageurs ‘ blog will visit Gradara and share with us what lies behind the walls of the Castle of Gradara!
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Both the castle and the town look well worth a visit. Interesting history and beautiful scenery.
Wow, i can’t wait to visit on my next trip to the area. I’m a regular visitor to that lovely country but like most people only knew of Verona’s association with Romeo & Julieta. Your story covers so much interesting history that I’ve read it twice already.
This town is new to me and I can see why it was worth a detour. What a magnificent castle and such an interesting history. Lucky you for such a great and unexpected diversion.
Wow! All the things I love about a visit to an historical place: intrigue, lust, murder, convoluted family stories and a castle in a spectacular setting. Thanks for introducing me to this wonderful area and I’ve put it on our “must see” list when we get to Europe.
This sounds like a place I would love to visit! I love the backstory! If I saw this magnificent castle on the hill, I would want to stop as well!
I am so the same kind of person who would detour on the whim of an anecdote as you did, and look at your reward! Beautiful photos, particularly the hilltop view of the castle. The pinky, golden light is gorgeous.
I would definitely go back to tour the castle, and tour this lovely looking town. I love Romeo and Juliette, and I was lucky enough to go to a Romeo and Juliette opera production in Seoul, recently.
I love castles and have visited many. I have dutifully added the Castle of Gradara to my to-do list. Thanks for the story!
That was pretty shrewd of you to leave yourselves a reason to return!
Great story, one of so many in Italy. Wonder why Shakespeare moved the story to Verona?
What an interesting history and photos! I would love to visit Gradara, and the Marche region in general.
What a fascinating history. I can get lost in stories like these. We have yet to enjoy the Borgia series. I did know that Shakespeare had been influenced by Dante’s work, but seeing your beautiful photos really made the story come alive in a different, more thrilling way.
I love the serendipity of finding places and Gradara sounds like a great find. This happened to us with Domodossola and both have intriguing histories.
I’ve been to Emilia Romagna so many times but have never gotten to Marche. It looks wonderful!
Just lovely. I had no idea there was a historical inspiration for Shakespeare’s R & J.
Thanks for sharing the real story of Romeo and Juliet. Is the castle of Gradara also a hotel? I’m starting a photo collaboration on castle hotels, http://berkeleyandbeyond.com/Way-Beyond/Photo-Galleries/Castle-Hotels/castle-hotels.html
Gradara looks like a wonderful place to explore and spend some time learning about the history of the town. What a beautiful castle and gorgeous views!
Gradara,looks so Romeo and Juliet! What a rich and interesting history.