Archaeological excavations and surveys in the sites of Romagna Appennine: the castles of Rontana and Ceparano

The castles of Rontana and Ceparano are two medieval fortified settlements where various archaeological research activities have been carried out, particularly an extensive excavation since 2007 and 2018. In the former case, material evidence of a garrison dating to the late 6th and early 7th centuries has been identified, with ceramics imported from various Mediterranean regions and a lead seal of Gregory the Great. This overlaps with an early medieval village with its church and a cemetery that occupied the entire summit area, and a 10th-century wooden fortified settlement, with semi-underground dwellings dug into the chalk, a market area, a glassmaking workshop, a bread oven, and a blacksmith’s workshop. From the 11th century onward, the castle began to be built of stone, first in some sections of the surrounding walls, then more extensively throughout the entire settlement. It was abandoned in AD 1591 by order of the papal authorities. The history of Ceparano Castle is instead tied to the exploitation of limestone for the production of millstones and to the agricultural control of a hilly territory located a little further south along a line of reliefs overlooking the Via Emilia. Excavations have revealed the presence of a large settlement extending across two closely spaced hills and the display of power by the Guidi and Manfredi families, who competed for the Faenza countryside until the early 16th century, before the abandonment of most of the fortified villages located on the flanks of the Lamone Valley settlement system.