The castle is situated in the hamlet of the same name, Monfestino, which comes under the municipality of Serramazzoni; it is one of the most characteristically shaped castles in the Apennines.
We do not have any precise information as to the construction period of the castle, but the oldest part, which in ancient times comprised a high, square tower surrounded by mighty walls, undoubtedly served as an outpost to defend the “Castro Feroniano” and the mountain territories which came under it. At the time, these territories were subjected to the Church and the Exarchate of Ravenna, and the fortress helped to delay Longobard penetration into the area for about two hundred years.
At the beginning of the last century, the castle was in a deplorable state of disrepair; the roofs of the towers had caved in, and the gateways and the old Palace of the Podestà at risk of collapse.
Purchased by the entrepreneur, Grand Officer Fermo Corni, the castle underwent major restoration work and, in the space of a few years, was restored to its former splendour.
Nowadays, although you cannot go through the gates of the castle so splendidly preserved by Corni’s descendants, you can admire its round towers and mighty walls, walking along the nature trail which runs alongside it. If you carry on further along the trail, you can admire sweeping views from the highest peaks in the Apennines to the white glaciers of the Alps.
