WALK INTO A NOBLE AMBIENCE...
 Listen to the true story of ancient families, royalty and a long history of feuds that resounded around the hills of the Ombrone valley. If history is your cup of tea, then come down to Bibbiano which is 4 kilometers from the town of Buonconvento. From there, in the Val d'Arbia on the SS2 Cassia, just follow the directions till you reach the fabled Bibbiano Castle. Known earlier as the 'Corte (Princely Estate) de Herberia', the municipality or district where the castle was built is called Rubeira in modern times. Rubeira was captured by Adalberto, the Marquis of Tuscany who wanted it to belong to the Monastery of Castiglione. The Marquis joined the House of Canossa and they naturally became the lords of the estate also. Originally the castle was built in the middle of the estate near the Secchia River. The Roman emperors built a bridge over the river, but in the course of battles it was in ruins. The foundations of its piers still stand as a testimony today.
Open the castle door and meet the gentle spirit of the rich Countess Matilda of Canossa. Can you hear her brocade skirts sweeping down the stone floors as she surveyed her lands and her possessions? Soon Emperor Henry IV took over Rubeira after a series of struggles and gave it to his son, Azzo, the Marquis of the House of Este. But the Countess regained possession and granted Miles Raniero the authority of governorship of the territory and knighted him as the Count of Castellarano. The fiefdom fell into the hands of Raniero after the death of Matilda and then into the hands of various feudal lords. The Fathers of the Monastery of San Salvatore wanted to lay claim to the estate. Pope Eugene III in 1146 gave them half the estate and the other half to the Bishop of Reggio Emilia. Come and hear tales of bloodshed, constant battles and of handsome knights who stole the hearts of people. Much bloodshed followed in raging battles and the royal men of Canossa with their close allies took an army to overthrow the Bishopric of Reggio. The men of Bibbiano gave one hundred pounds to the men of Gesso to make a peace agreement with them. Lord Rolandino of Canossa was known as the greatest leader who was just, fair and handsome besides being courteous and generous.
 As an interesting fact, Lord Rolandino settled amicably a squabble which rose between two men. At that time peace reigned between the Gesso and the men of Albinea. The man from Albinea complained that his oxen were stolen by the man from Gesso. Lord Rolandino immediately restored the oxen that were stolen from the man. Then he asked the man if he wanted anything more. He replied saying that his clothes were stolen by the other man. The culprit refused to own up. Whereupon, Lord Rolandino took off his own coat and laid it on the man's shoulders. The culprit confessed that he was guilty and went on his knees to ask pardon. Such was the goodness of this great leader from the Canossa family. But unfortunately through the wars, there was much cruelty done to the prisoners by the soldiers and the leaders could not do anything as they feared that they would be deserted.
SCULPTING THE PAST
After the new castle was built in 1190 by the municipality of Reggio Emilia in Rubiera, it was taken over by Pico Manfredi in 1202, in a battle with Reggio over the River Secchia. The municipality of Reggio Emilia fortified the castle and built settlements inside the castle walls. The descendants of the Bianchi family of the Lunigiana area, the Boiardi next took possession of the castle. In 1290, the Obizzo d'Este and the municipality of Reggio Emila owned it and by 1315, it was given back to the municipality of Reggio Emilia. Many changes were yet to come as the Apostolic Delegate occupied the castle in 1326 but were conquered. In 1329, the imperial commanders of Parma and Reggio Emilia imprisoned the commander, Gherardo Boiardi in the castle itself. The Gonzaga family took over the castle in 1345 and the castle was restored to the Boiardi family who were successful in fending off their enemies by housing their garrison inside the castle. The Boiardi family asked for the protection of the Visconti family, but in 1362, they sent the garrison out as the representatives from the Church and the House d'Este stayed there. Due to this, the Boiardis established rule over the territory of Rubiera and warred against the Visconti family and Ottobono Terzi. In a wicked plot, Terzi was killed and later in 1423, the Boiardis took over Scandio as an exchange for Rubeira, with the Duke d'Este and the community of Ferrara ruling the place.
 The Holy Houses with the Popes took over in 1512 entrusting the rule to Albert Pious of Carpi, but again the House of Este took over in 1523. The castle was fortified to the maximum as the Spanish wars took place in 1706. The French who were in charge of Modena surrendered to the German troops. The House of Este used the castle as a state prison and the patriot, Don Giuseppe Andreoli, was housed in the prison before being sentenced to the scaffold in 1822. The castle of Bibbiano was transformed several times and made into a fortress with strong fortifications. Imposing with a royal air, the Bibbiano Castle was situated on a hill commanding a strategic position of 242 meters above sea level over the Ombrone Valley in a green woody thickly forested area over the lower lying town of Buonconvento. Documented in the year 850 B.C., it became the possession of the Longobard family and to the Count Guinigi di Reghinari during the rule of the Emperor Ludovico II. With invasions and the sense of ownership of feuding royal families, the Bibbiano Castle was under the noble families of the Guiglieschis and then the Cacciacontis during the middle of the 13th century.
The castle of Bibbiano was transformed several times and made into a fortress with strong fortifications. Imposing with a royal air, the Bibbiano Castle was situated on a hill commanding a strategic position of 242 meters above sea level over the Ombrone Valley in a green woody thickly forested area over the lower lying town of Buonconvento. Documented in the year 850 B.C., it became the possession of the Longobard family and to the Count Guinigi di Reghinari during the rule of the Emperor Ludovico II. With invasions and the sense of ownership of feuding royal families, the Bibbiano Castle was under the noble families of the Guiglieschis and then the Cacciacontis during the middle of the 13th century. The keep was built in the 14th century and though the castle was ruined during battles, it was resurrected by Cardinal Raffaello Petrucci with the architect being Baldassarre Peruzzi.
A STRONGHOLD THAT DEFIES TIME
Come and look at the Bibbiano Castle whose history celebrates a long and varied chapter with war and passion. Look at its huge keep and its double-walled enclosure. Before its destruction, the Bibbiano Castle on Via Emilia was an immense construction with four towers that overlooked the entrance to the town. The west side displays crenellated turrets with machicolation, but only one remains today. The castle with its walls and bastions was encircled by deep moats filled with water from the Tresinaro River through the canal of Della Cerca. Walk through its drawbridge on the east side facing Carpi and wonder at the gatehouse with its clever structure of sandstone ashlars with slits for arrows and loopholes. Go down the wall walk which is behind the inner stone curtain and feel the thrill of touching its medieval walls and foundations which remain as one of the most incredible structures in the Sienese countryside.
 The castle besides being the victim and the witness to a series of battles and traumas was also subject to continuous renovations. But even then in 1481, its castle door fell into the deep moat and in 1558 its tower was damaged irrevocably and was known as the 'torre mozza' or the 'cut-off tower'. Though it was re-built and repaired, the castle lost its original charm. The Este San Martino descendants and the Marquis Carlo Filiberto II did much to adorn and decorate the huge castle with lovely gardens, sculptures and fountains. As an interesting fact, the reconstruction of the castle required 500 carts to transport the stone, bricks, quicklime and sand. The water for the fountains came through an aqueduct which spanned 13 arches drawing water from La Valle area. When the feudal lord, Gaudenzio Valotti took over in 1777, the restoration went on. At his death, the Duke Ercole III of Modena took all its decorations and valuables to his villa in Mugnano. The castle was auctioned in 1873 giving one part for private occupation and the other half to the municipality. The castle was declared a national monument, but is privatized now. When the French suppressed the feudal system, the castle was sold to the Canevazzi family and to the Casali family who own till today. Though it has lost most of its historical features, the owners have renovated the structure following the guidelines of the Superintendent for Historic Buildings in restoring the building to its original appearance.
Go through a castle with an ancient history and look into its impressive interiors that have housed important and celebrated figures. Though history has made a deep impact on its very being, the castle serves as a formidable protector that age, time and tide cannot destroy.
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