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 to guard the border, today it holds promises, toasts and quiet moments. Its architecture tells a story that is still being written.
The history
A fortress
born to protect.
In 1564, Cosimo I de' Medici ordered the construction of the ideal city of Terra del Sole, a perfect square designed to defend the northern border of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. Within it, the Castello del Capitano delle Artiglierie became its military and political heart: residence of the Captain, arms depot, symbol of Medici power.
For two centuries the castle lived on garrisons, dispatches and official ceremonies. With Italian unification it lost its military role and transformed — town hall, carabinieri barracks, school, archive — surviving everything, never losing its air of importance.
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 keeps on welcoming people.
Timeline
Five centuries,
four milestones.
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 spaces 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
2,400Sqm of floor space
5Historic halls
2Monumental gardens
The setting
A town
designed to perfection.
Terra del Sole isn't a town that grew — it's a plan that was built. A square layout, two gates, two bastions, a castle at its centre. A 16th-century ideal city that has reached us intact.
When you marry at the castle, you also marry a small corner of the Romagna plain that time decided to leave in peace. Forlì is 15 minutes away, Florence an hour, the sea at Cesenatico half an hour.
How to reach us
Closer
than you think.
Terra del Sole sits in a strategic position between Romagna and Tuscany, easily reached by car, train or plane from major Italian and European cities.
- By carA14 Forlì exit 15 km · 20 minutes from the toll gate
- By trainForlì station Bologna–Rimini line, transfer on request
- AirportBologna BLQ 80 km · 1h by car
- FlorenceVia Faentina or A1 110 km · 1h 20'
- SeasideCesenatico 30 km · 35 minutes
Visit it in person
Five centuries,
waiting for you.
The castle can only truly be understood in person. Book a private viewing and come walk through it.