A return to the past, a journey back to the great poet Dante.

The small town of Gradara, in the province of Pesaro and Urbino, it is famous for its wonderful ancient castle. The village of Gradara is a beautifully preserved and restored town that makes us dream of medieval festivals and court intrigues. Its construction began at the end of the 13th century with the Malatesta.

The Castle was built with the three towers, the double walls and the three drawbridges that made it a real stronghold. In the Chapel of the Palace we can admire a wonderful wall terracotta by Andrea della Robbia 'Madonna and Saints. '

The castle, which rises on a hill, was initially built in the 13th century, before being remodeled in the 15th century by Giovanni Sforza, but the definitive form he has today dates back to the beginning of the 20th century. The castle as a whole is small and completely surrounded by walls for its defense.

Between the two walls are the houses of the original town. It was the Malatesta and the Sforza who brought wealth and power to Gradara.

It was precisely this Castle that made the scene for the tragic love between Paolo and Francesca. In 1275 Francesca, daughter of the Duke of Ravenna was promised to marry the Duke of Rimini Malatesta. Being a man of little charm, it was decided that the marriage would take place by proxy, where the prosecutor was the far more fascinating brother Paolo. Francesca and Paolo fell in love at first sight and had several adulterous meetings, until, around 1285, they were discovered by Duke Malatesta and consequently killed. The tragic love story of Paolo and Francesca was also recalled by Dante in his Divine Comedy.

Two centuries later Lucrezia Borgia was a tenant of the Rocca. We all know this story too. Poor Lucrezia was not exactly the famous' witch 'who poisoned all her husbands, but instead she was a good woman and mother, whose father made her spouse poison when she decided that, for reasons by state, the daughter had to marry some other nobleman.

Visiting the castle and walking through the alleys of Gradara it is not difficult to imagine seeing all these characters walk in the rooms of the fortress.

The exceptional integrity and compactness of the ancient housing unit made Gradara obtain the orange flag, brand of< ; strong> tourist-environmental quality conferred to the small municipalities of the Italian hinterland that stand out for a offer of excellence and a quality welcome.