Piacenza Middle Age Village Castell’Arquato things to do. Castell’Arquato is a very characteristic medieval village located about thirty km from Piacenza.
Castell’Arquato was also the set of many scenes of the film “Ladyhawke” shot in 1985. “Ladyhawke” is a film starring Michelle Pfeiffer, Rutger Hauer and Mattew Broderick.
Castell’Arquato: why this name?
Castell’Arquato: why this name? First of all, it must be said that in the 2nd century BC, a certain Roman knight, Caio Torquato, had already taken possession of this place, placing a fortress there and thus giving rise to the denomination Castel Torquato. This name transformed over time into the current Castell’Arquato.
However, we also have a second hypothesis which would instead make the name Castell’Arquato derive from the square structure of the Castle: Castel Quadrato. Hence the current name Castell’Arquato would have been derived.
Castell’Arquato things to do
What to do in Castell’Arquato? In Castell’Arquato is nice to walk and walk along the streets of the center, seeing characteristic corners until you get to Piazza del Municipio, where you can find the Rocca Viscontea.
Video Castell’Arquato Piacenza
Watch the following video, which shows you some glimpses of Castell’Arquato.
The Rocca Viscontea
The Rocca Viscontea was built on the initiative of the Piacenza in 1342, the Rocca was reinforced and completed by Luchino Visconti in 1347. The Rocca Viscontea looks like an imposing brick building and had a purely defensive function facilitated by its position. The Rocca Viscontea occupies a strategically dominant position over the surrounding valley. Furthermore, the high tower overlooking the village square had the dual function of defense against external enemies and control over the inhabitants.
The fortress that rises where there was a Roman military settlement called Castrum Quadratum has an unusual shape.
A double order of walls surrounds the structure. The lowest and widest part covers two levels and is where the soldiers usually resided and where citizens could take refuge in case of danger. On the other hand, the highest wall was reserved for the command of the garrison.
The tall tower was built for defensive and military purposes and never became a noble residence. As you can well imagine, this tower offers an excellent observation point of the surrounding area.
In the 19th and 20th centuries, until the 1960s, the Rocca was used as a prison. Castell’Arquato was also the set of many scenes of the film “Ladyhawke,” filmed in 1985. “Ladyhawke” is a film starring Michelle Pfeiffer, Rutger Hauer, and Mattew Broderick.