Montebello is only a few minutes from Torriana and can be reached
thanks to beautiful but extremely winding road that leads to
Castle Gate, the entrance portal to the medieval fortress. The
fortress itself stands on a picturesque hillside about 400 metres
above sea level, and Montebello “castrum” has been
documented since the late 12th century.
Montebello has one of the most beautiful and best-preserved
fortresses in Romagna with the unusual feature of having foundations
that rest on the peak of the mountain itself. In Latin, “Mons
Belli” means the Mount of War and indeed it has witnessed
numerous assaults, starting with the Malatesta family in 1186.
After about 200 years the Montefeltro family conquered it and
the fortress remained in their possession until 1438 when Sigismondo
Pandolfo Malatesta once again conquered it. Today Montebello
Castle is owned by the Guidi di Bagno family.
Montebello Castle is a popular destination for numerous tourists,
drawn here by the legend of Azzurrina, an eight-year old girl
who disappeared mysteriously inside the fortress while playing
with a ball.
