In September 2007 the first excavation campaign began in the castle of Rontana, a fortified settlement situated on Monte Rotana near Brisighella (Ravenna). The site lies within the territory of the Vena del Gesso Romagnola Park.

The castrum of Rontana was first mentioned in 960, together with the parish church of Santa Maria which stands within it, in a document of the Archiepiscopal Archive of Ravenna. At that time the settlement belonged to Ugone di Rontana or della Pieve. In the following centuries the fortification was the object of many disputes and was listed amongst the properties of the church of Ravenna, the municipality of Faenza, of the Manfredi and the Venetian Republic. It was destroyed at the end of the 16th century by the Papal army.

The work inside the castle was undertaken in order to study the birth of the phenomenon of incastellamento in Romagna through the examination of archaeological remains. The site, thanks to the extraordinarily well preserved deposit, will provide useful data regarding the archaeological stratification of the first occupation phases as well as information regarding possible occupation phases on the hilltop post-dating those mentioned in the 10th century written sources.

In order to achieve these aims a large excavation area was opened (circa 100 m2 ) at the centre of the hilltop, corresponding to the courtyard of the 16th century Rocca. Below a deep deposit of building rubble from the destruction of the castle, several walled structures came to light belonging to various rooms in the “aristocratic” area. There was much evidence showing the occupants to be of high rank, in particular the glazed and painted pottery from diverse centres in Romagna, Tuscany and the Veneto. The rooms that were uncovered seemed to be arranged around a central space within which was situated a well-cistern, necessary for the survival of the fortified site during the many sieges it underwent during the Middle Ages and early Renaissance.

During the course of the excavations a topographical survey was also undertaken of the entire area occupied by the castle and surrounding settlement, in order to gain a detailed understanding of its plan.
The excavations were also accompanied by studies and analyses of the architectural archaeology of the many standing walls preserved inside the fortified settlement, in particular the facings of a ruined ogival tower situated in the north-west corner of the Rocca.

The excavations will continue next year with the opening of another two areas on the north slope of the castrum inside rooms whose functions and plans are at present unknown. This will lead to a better understanding of the site and its internal organisation.