Castle of Guardasone

History

The castle was built to guard the Ford on the Enza stream perhaps as early as the 10th century, but the first record of the existence of the court Guardasioni dates only to March 21, 1165. The structure belonged to the Baratti branch of the Counts of Canossa, cousins of the Attoni. The name of the locality, medieval Guardaxonis, possibly meaning "Guard of the Attoni," may have originated from them. The fortification served as a key defensive outpost for Canossa Castle, overseeing the control of Val d'Enza.

In 1248, the manor, subject to the commune of Parma, was occupied by the imperial army of Frederick II of Swabia during the Battle of Parma. Guelph troops from Parma, led by Rolando Rossi and sent by podestà Filippo Visdomini, recaptured it, putting King Enzo, the son of Frederick II, on the run.

In 1296, the castle of the Baratti Neri was occupied by the Ghibellines who had escaped from the city supported by the Marquis of Ferrara Azzo VIII d'Este; the Guelphs reconquered the manor, but after a few years, Azzo counterattacked and in revenge destroyed the building; the following year the municipality decreed that no more fortifications would be rebuilt in Guardasone.

Between 1307 and 1310, Giberto III da Correggio had many of his enemies locked up in the manor's prisons, including members of the Rossi, Baratti, and Aldighieri families, who were later freed in 1312 at the behest of Emperor Henry VII of Luxembourg. In 1316 Giberto was driven out of Parma and retreated to Castelnovo; he allied with the da Palù and reorganized his army in his lands comprising Guardasone, Campegine, Guastalla, and Bazzano, among others; he fortified the manor of Guardasone and moved to attack the city, but was repulsed. …

Description

Of the ancient mighty stone castle only the large keep developed on an unusual rectangular plan survives; adjacent to the tower an L-shaped body, added in the early 20th century, articulates toward the east.

The tall and massive keep rises on four main levels above ground; on the west side there is an ogival-arched portal, originally facing the parade ground; the first three floors are characterized by the presence of wide mullioned windows with central columns, opened by 1903, while on the last level, there are several single lancet windows with a crowning, modified around 1900, round-arched arch along the perimeter.

In contrast, the twentieth-century building, also made of stone, has no noteworthy architectural evidence.

Around the castle rise along the slope the ruins of medieval walls, lacking a crowning.

La Guardiola stands on Mount Lugolo, a few hundred meters west of the castle.

Only the ruins of the outer walls remain of the old stone watchtower, originally elevated on three levels.

The alleged ghost

Like many castles, the manor of Guardasone would also seem to harbor a ghost; according to legend, Ottobuono de' Terzi did not die by treachery in Rubiera, but was killed in an ambush by the women of Guardasone, as revenge for the massacre of 65 men of the village he ordered; abandoned in the woods without a burial, he would wander restlessly near Guardiola ever since.