Gradara, the fortress of Paolo and Francesca's love

It is one of the most iconic villages in the Marche region, and its notoriety is due to the scenic presence of its medieval fortress (the central keep is about 30 metres high) and one of the most poignant stories in Italian literature. Built and enlarged between the 12th and 15th centuries, the Gradara castle complex, now a public museum space, is surrounded by double walls that are among the best-preserved in Italia and dominates the hills between Marche and Romagna, giving the image of a strategic fortress contested by the Houses of Malatesta, Sforza and Della Rovere. Inside, there are rooms of great charm ranging from reception rooms to elegant courtyards and private rooms that recall court life. These also include the room that symbolises the story of Paolo and Francesca narrated by Dante in the "Divine Comedy": every detail of the room (the wooden bed, the reading corner, the galley book that the two lovers were reading, the trapdoor from which Paolo tried in vain to escape) feeds an interweaving of history and imagination that contributes to making this village unique and invites you to discover it step by step as you walk along the castle walls or through the streets of the small centre.