Romano di Lombardia

Construction of the village of Romano took place in a unified manner after 1171, conceived with the characteristics of a fortified village. One of the first essential elements to be built was the Rocca, a term denoting a “defensive construction” in which were located the lord’s residence, the troops’ quarters and the food and ammunition depots. From the 13th to the 18th century, the Rocca di Romano was the seat of the Vicario Ducale during Visconti rule and of the Podestà and Provveditore during the rule of the Venetian Republic. An important figure within the fortress was the Castellan, under the direct orders of the Captain of Bergamo. For their defensive structures, the Visconti preferred the square shape of castles with four corner towers. The oldest tower is the one on the south-east corner, dating back to the 13th century. Those to the south-west and north-east were built in the 14th century during the Visconti seigniory and underwent a series of transformations during Venetian rule, with the construction of machicolations and brackets. Even from its origins, the fortress was completely surrounded by a wide and very deep moat, of which only one narrow and deep section remains today. Inside are two courtyards: the Corte Grande, accessed directly from the entrance, and the smaller Corte della Cancelleria Veneta, accessed through the first courtyard.

The rooms of the Rocca were distributed as follows: the residence of the Seigniory in the west wing; in the south wing, the state rooms, including the Sala Grande, the reception room for guests and meetings of the Community Council; and finally, the north and east wings used for the Castellan’s quarters, the armourers’ quarters and the ammunition store. There were two entrances, with the main one having a drawbridge and occupying both floors in height. The second entrance was located in the south-west tower. The Ponticella connected the Rocca with the external areas. The defensive function of the Rocca di Romano vanished during the 18th century and the function of the Giudicatura di Pace (Justice of the Peace) was exercised there, later replaced by the Pretura (Magistrate’s Court). During these years, the fortification underwent architectural changes and transformations. Restoration of the building, which began in 1968 based on a design by Architect Angelini, only brought to light part of the original construction elements, which are currently still hidden under the 19th-century superstructures.