Canossa Castle

Canossa, the castle of Countess Matilda of Tuscany ( 1046-1115 ). This occurred in January 1077, King Henry IV on his Walk to Canossa, Pope Gregory VII contrary to achieve the solution of excommunication. The castle was built in a strategic position on the edge of the Apennines between Bologna and Parma, 18 kilometers southwest of the Italian province of Reggio Emilia capital at an altitude of 576 meters above the sea level.

History

Atto Adalbert ( 939-988 ) who built the castle.

1092 Henry IV learned on his second Italian campaign at Canossa a crushing defeat by the troops of Matilda.

In 1255 the castle was damaged during fighting between Guelphs and Ghibellines. 1320 it belonged Guilberto as Correggio, the former Signore Parma and Correggio. He who restored the building, but rebuilt at the same time in a mansion. In 1412, the castle was by troops of Niccolò III. d' Este besieged and damaged. Leonello d'Este in 1449 acquired the building. 1452 Borso d'Este, the castle was restored again. 1570 was Alfonso II d' Este Canossa as a fief to Boniface Ruggeri, Count of Reggio Emilia. Boniface Ruggeri had the building restored again and expand. 1642 awarded Francesco I d' Este, the fief to the Valentini family. With short interruptions ( Ottavio Farnese in 1557 she took a ) the castle remained from 1449 to 1796 ( Italian campaign ) in possession of the Este family and the feud was managed from 1642 to 1796 by the Valentini family. 1819 received the Valentini family in the course of the restoration of the castle back. 1846 sparked a of falling boulder from a landslide that damaged the building. This event was even commented in German magazines. 1877 was a local mountain club a book on the Apennines between the Secchia and Enza out La montagna fra la Secchia e l' Enza. In it she pointed to the poor condition of the castle and to the need for excavations. Subsequently acquired by the Italian State in 1878, the ruins and declared it a national monument.

Today the castle is a ruin; Conservation work prevented a further decline. The extensions of the building by Mathilde, the damage of 1255 and the reconstruction by Guilberto da Correggio destroyed all traces of the first building, the Adalbert Atto was built in the 10th century.