What to see in Marradi

What to see in Marradi? There are numerous attractions to visit in this municipality on the border with Romagna. In this land was born and lived the famous poet Dino Campana, and in his memory a museum was built. Also worth visiting are important and beautiful villas. Continue reading the article to find out what to see in Marradi.

  • Palazzo Torriani

Palazzo Torriani was built at the end of the 16th century at the wish of the Razzi family, above the remains of a pre-Roman tower. Unfortunately, however, the family realized that the building exceeded their chances of money and so was bought by the Torriani family. Work at the palace ended in the second half of 1600. Above the entrance door there is the arms of the  family in sandstone. It consists of a tower with two lions. Inside the building there are decorations of Galileo Chini, a ceiling canvas of Silvestro Lega  and precious items. Particularly interesting is the collection of clocks scattered throughout the palace. During the Second World War, the Palace was damaged and robbed of precious objects. The family has funded a long restoration to bring back Palazzo Torriani to the utmost splendor. The Torriani family still lives today inside the palace, which has been transformed the palace into a beautiful 5-star B & B.

  • Animosi’s theather

The Animosi’s Theater was built in 1792 on commission of the Academy of Animosi. We do not know exactly who architect designed the theater, but it is assumed to have been the same as the Theater Niccolini in Florence. On the occasion of the centenary, a plaque was placed with the names of the founders of the Animosi Academy. It is still possible to admire it today. In 1900 the Academy considered it appropriate to restore the theater, in particular to realize the electrical connection inside it. In 1938 the Theater was purchased by the Dopolavoro Ferroviario because the Academy broke up. During the Second World War, the Theater suffered numerous structural damage. Work was done to ensure its functionality. The theater remained active until 1970. In this year the Animosi Theater passed to the City Hall. For security issues, the theater was closed until 1990. During these 20 years the theater was completely restored and secured according to the design of the engineer Domenico Naldoni. It was included in the FIO regional project for theaters. Since then, the theater has become a place for numerous initiatives. Since 2015, she has been managing the Marradi Company Company, “Compagnia per non perdere d’inedia”.

  • Palazzo Comunale (City Hall)

We do not have many testimonies about Palazzo Comunale. Some documents tell us that it was probably built at the beginning of 1400, during the Florentine conquest and the establishment of the Captain. Towards the end of the eighteenth century the palace was badly damaged and so it was decided to restructure it completely. During the work, structural changes were made. The porch was expanded from five to seven arcades and the entrance was moved to the current position. At the end of 1776 was inaugurated the new bell tower built by the Florentine clockmaker, Giuseppe Bagiacchi. In 1919 Marradi was struck by a severe earthquake and the palace suffered structural damage. Consolidation was needed. At present the palace is the seat of the Municipality of Marradi.

  • Palazzo Fabroni

Palazzo Fabroni is located in Piazza Scalelle. It is an elegant building of the sixteenth century but was modified in the 17th century. In 1777 the Fabroni brothers decided to raise the palace. In a year they managed to finish the work and make the palace again habitable. It was probably on this occasion that the ceiling of the rooms where today there is the Bar Bianco was painted and decorated with stucco.

  • Church of Suffragio

The Church of Suffragio is located at the side of Palazzo Fabroni and is characterized by its simplicity. The facade is made up of a tympanum (alluded to the eighteenth-century taste for the curved line), a window and a  entrance door in serene stone. On the left side of the church, protected by an iron grid, there is the name and coat of arms of the person who commissioned the construction of this little church: Alessandro Bandini. The church was inaugurated in 1732. Subsequently the church passed to the Commune of Marradi, which was obliged to keep it open to the public. In 1877 he was purchased by the Brotherhood of Mercy. It is still managed today by them. There is a clear difference between inside and outside. The first, unlike the outside, is colorful and exuberant. The curved line is very present, which  create illusory spaces.

  • Church of San Lorenzo

The church of San Lorenzo is of Romanesque origin. The present building was rebuilt in 1785 following a neoclassical style. The church is made up of a bell-facade facade on which there are pilasters. The interior, on one nave, has on its walls two stucco altars with columns surmounted by Ionic capitals. Inside there are three paintings on the table attributed to the Master of Marradi:San Giovanni Evangelista, San Lorenzo, Madonna col Bambino.

  • Dino Campana Museum

Dino Campana, Italian poet, was born in Marradi in 1885. In 1913 he handed over a manuscript entitled “Il più lungo giorno” to Ardengo Soffici and Giovanni Papini, directors of the magazine “Lacerba”. The manuscript is not taken into account and is lost. It will be found only sixty years later with the death of Soffici among his personal cards. The following year Dino Campana began to rewrite the manuscript which was published in 1914 with the title of Canti Orfici. It was an edition full of mistakes and it had no success. In 1818, Dino Campana was hospitalized in a mental hospital. In 1928, the publishing house Vallecchi released a second edition of the Canti Orfici without any permission from the poet, as he was deemed incapable of understanding and willing. Dino Campana remained in the mental hospital until his death in 1932. In 1989, a cultural association was set up with the aim of building a documentation center on Dino Campana’s life and work, carrying out publishing activities, managing campanian demonstrations and various cultural activities (conferences, etc.). It was born like that the Dino Campana Museum, which currently hosts the various editions of the Canti Orfici, monographic works on the life and poetry of Dino Campana, graduate theses, magazines and newspapers with early publications of Campania texts and first critical contributions, the documents of the municipal archive of Marradi, iconographic material. The Museum of Contemporary Art “Artists for Dino Campana” was also set up, which collects pictorial and sculptural works inspired of Dino Campana.

  • Rocca di Castellonchio

The Rocca di Castellonchio, ancient fortification, was built in the 6th century. It is one of the most beautiful monuments in Marradi’s landscape and dominates the Lamone valley. In ancient times, the castle was called Castrum Leonis and is still popularly called Castellone. In some documents of 1123 it is said that the castle belonged to the Pagani, a family of the Valley of the Senio. It was destroyed by the inhabitants of Faenza, who were in the struggle with the Pagans. Subsequently the castle was rebuilt and put under the protection of the Republic of Florence. Due to an earthquake that struck Marradi in 1279, the castle suffered numerous damage. The fortress of Castellonchio has been repeatedly invaded and overgrown over the centuries. When Cosimo de ‘Medici was elected a Duke, he granted to the Fabroni family of Marradi the control of the Rocca.  Afterwards, however, he was deprived of weapons to prevent them from being used by the enemies of the Medici. Time and earthquakes that have happened over the years have transformed Rocca di Castellonchio into a ruin. In 2001 restoration works were carried out to prevent the collapse of the Rocca. Unfortunately, however, the funding was not enough to intervene on all parts of the Castle. In fact a piece of wall has fallen.

  • Eremo di Gamogna

The Eremo di Gamogna is an ancient monastic complex. It was founded by San Pier Damiani in 1053 and was dedicated to San Barnaba. In 1532 it was closed due to the lack of monks and was transformed into a parish church. In 1866 it was incorporated into the diocese of Modigliana. Due to the depopulation of the campaigns that took place in the second post-war period, Gamogna’s hermitage fell into ruin. Only in 1991 began restoration work thanks to the support of the priest Antonio Samorì and numerous volunteers. Eremo di Gamogna features a Romanesque structure with a bell-facade, a semi-circular apse with a conical roof covered with slate slabs and a sailboat bell tower. The original complex remains the cloister, the monks’ cells, the oven, the dryers and the stable. Today the Eremo di Gamogna is run by the Fraternità Monastica di Gerusalemme.

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