Rocca di Vignola
Rocca di Vignola
4.5
9:00 AM - 1:00 PM, 3:30 PM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
3:30 PM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
3:30 PM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
3:30 PM - 6:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
3:30 PM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
3:30 PM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
3:30 PM - 6:00 PM
About
On a sandstone spur, this fortress stands over the Panaro valley. Documented back to 1178, it is one of the most interesting examples of fortification architecture in Emilia. In the fourteenth century it belonged to the Este family of Ferrara, but in 1401 they donated it to the Uguccione Contrari family who turned it into a refined mansion. In 1577, the Fortress was handed over to the Boncompagni family. Purchased by the Cassa di Risparmio di Vignola bank in 1965, it was handed over to the Vignola Foundation in 1998. The massive quadrilateral structure spread over five floors, with three corner towers – Nonantola, Donne and Pennello – is encircled by projections for plunging defence, typical of the XV century. In the courtyard, the small fortress stands to the left and open the Contrari and Grassoni halls. Winter opening times. Week days: 9:00/12:00 – 14:30/18:00. 0/12:00 – 15:30/19:00Holidays: 10:30/13:00 – 15:30/19:00. Closed on Mondays. Free admission
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Top ways to experience Rocca di Vignola and nearby attractions

The area
Address
Reach out directly

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles624 reviews
Excellent
402
Very good
203
Average
13
Poor
3
Terrible
3

Associazioni v
Emilia-Romagna, Italy2 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2023 • Solo
Great old castle. You can park your car near the river and reach the castle using the pedastian underpass. Free entrance.
Written 29 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

bebsaurus_13
Paris, France803 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023 • Couples
This médiéval castle is off the main tourist track in the region and really feels like a hidden gem.

Well preserved with a curious story, it is worth the stop.

Additionally Vignola is a great little town with some nice architecture and excellent walking in the surrounding area.
Written 28 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

kangelini
Hong Kong, China1,569 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022 • Couples
Worth a short visit here. Do remember to make a booking as it is a requirement now. Tour lasts around 40 mins and hosted by an Italian speaking guide
Written 22 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Bill A
Spring Lake, NJ598 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Couples
I have now visited three fortresses named “La Rocca” in Emilia–Romagna and the one in Vignola is by far the best. The most fun part is climbing the maze of stairs up to the three towers. There is no one path through the many rooms in the fortress; so, you’re kind of on your own to figure out how to navigate your way through the fortress. But, what I really appreciated was the signage in each room (in both Italian and English) which provides a clear and concise description of the purpose of each room and of the artwork on the walls / ceilings. This is absolutely the number one attraction in Vignola and a good reason to include the city of Vignola in your itinerary.
Written 22 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Nicholas H
London, UK20,576 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2019 • Friends
Very impressive 12th century castle in a small town, remarkably well preserved, especially its fortifications. The interior has some wonderful frescoes. Well worth visiting.
Written 3 April 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

GMS
Hereford, UK123 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2018 • Family
A very large fortress, mostly under cover. Free entry. Beautiful as the light fades. Some dark areas, but also good lighting in many parts. Lots of towers to climb up with views of the surrounding area. Nice walk alongside the river nearby. Easy parking.
Written 2 November 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

SEG97113
Portland, OR31 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2018 • Friends
This Sunday, before lunch, we were going through Vignola and decided to stop and visit Rocca di Vignola. What a treat! We only had 40 minutes (they closed @ 1:00 pm) so we couldn't see everything. The best part, after ticket purchase, we were met by a guide (a volunteer). Very well informed, he gave us an overview (I am an American, my friends are Italian and live in the Region). Before he started, my friends asked him to speak a bit slowly as I understood Italian quite well but not if he spoke really fast. He was great - lots of background information. As he was finishing, he led us to the 'crown jewel' .... the Spiral staircase. The Rocco is a replete with beautiful frescoes and rooms with different and unique themes but the Spiral Staircase stands out! Well worth the visit but do plan to stay longer. Unfortunately, visitors are only allowed on the first floor. Disappointed because I'm certain there are many more treasures to see.
Written 5 August 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

James F
13 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2018 • Solo
Simply one of the most stunning castles I have ever seen. A must-visit destination to anybody visiting Modena/Bologna area (just a 60 minute train/bus ride from both). They also organise free tours (in English) and the castle itself is free entry. A real Italian treasure!
Written 18 July 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Cookada
37 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2018 • Family
It is by far an interesting architecture. The frescos in the castle were still beautiful. With a free entry to visit, it is definitely a place worth visiting. Although, lack of maintenance could be visible. Lack of funds seems to be the answer.
Written 9 July 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

LuziAnne68
Baton Rouge, LA97 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2017 • Couples
We visited Rocca di Vignola in December and it was absolutely beautiful. According to my BF who is from Italy, it is better preserved than most castles. They still have beautiful original frescoes and have put together a very nice audio tour to guide you through the artwork and architecture. There are also spectacular views of the surrounding area, especially at sunset.

I would recommend visiting during the warmer times of the year though. Much of the castle isn't heated (or cooled), especially the towers with the great views, and my toes were numb by the time I was finished. Additionally, I wouldn't recommend this for anyone with small children or physically frail or disabled people as some of the stairs are so steep we went down backwards. Plus, the flooring is very uneven at times.
Written 9 January 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Showing results 1-10 of 44
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing

ROCCA DI VIGNOLA: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about Rocca di Vignola