Rocchetta Mattei
A fantasy castle in the Apennine hills, with onion domes, towers and a courtyard inspired by the Alhambra in Granada.
The story
Count Cesare Mattei began building it in 1850 on the ruins of a medieval fortress. Here he invented and practised electrohomeopathy, a cure of his own devising based on herbs and «vegetable electricity» that became hugely famous: patients came from all over Europe, and Dostoevsky mentions it in «The Brothers Karamazov». The castle was extended for decades in different styles, from Moorish to Gothic.
Why go
A bizarre place, unique in Italy, with a story halfway between science and legend.
In the itineraries
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Weather forecast
The forecast for the next 7 days at this spot: sky, temperatures, rain and wind.
Forecast by Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), from the models of national weather services. Your browser downloads it directly from Open-Meteo, and only when you ask. In the mountains and at sea the weather changes quickly: check the official forecast as well before you set off.
Getting there
- By train. The nearest station is Riola station, 800 m away (about 15 minutes on foot). Alternatively: Carbona station, 3.9 km away.
- By air. The nearest airport is Bologna Airport (BLQ), about 39 km away.
- Parking. There are 8 signposted car parks within a kilometre; the nearest is 100 m away, free.
Stations, ports, airports and car parks from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL); distances as the crow flies. Timetables and connections change: check them before you travel.
Climate month by month
The most pleasant months for weather are from May to June and from September to October, with average highs between 18 and 29 °C. From July to August it is hot: average highs exceed 30 °C. The wettest month is November (about 89 mm), the driest July.
| Month | Temperature | High / low | Rain mm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | from 2 to 8 °C | 8° 2° | 50 |
| Feb | from 3 to 11 °C | 11° 3° | 68 |
| Mar | from 4 to 13 °C | 13° 4° | 54 |
| Apr | from 7 to 17 °C | 17° 7° | 49 |
| May | from 11 to 22 °C | 22° 11° | 69 |
| Jun | from 16 to 28 °C | 28° 16° | 44 |
| Jul | from 19 to 33 °C | 33° 19° | 22 |
| Aug | from 19 to 32 °C | 32° 19° | 40 |
| Sep | from 15 to 26 °C | 26° 15° | 59 |
| Oct | from 11 to 21 °C | 21° 11° | 80 |
| Nov | from 7 to 14 °C | 14° 7° | 89 |
| Dec | from 4 to 10 °C | 10° 4° | 65 |
Averages for 2015–2024, estimated for an altitude of 309 m. Air: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis), corrected for the altitude of the place; rain: average monthly total. These are indicative values: the weather on any given day can be very different, so always check the forecast before you go.
On foot and on the water, nearby
Nearby
- ★ Marzabotto and Monte SoleHistory and art · 17 km as the crow flies
- San Luca PorticoHistory and art · 34 km as the crow flies
- ★ Salse di NiranoNature · 37 km as the crow flies
- Maranello and the Enzo Ferrari MuseumHistory and art · 38 km as the crow flies
- BolognaTown · 38 km as the crow flies
- DozzaTown · 48 km as the crow flies
← See it on the map with all 27 placesGuide to Emilia-Romagna