Rocca Borgesca

The Rocca Borgesca in Camerino combines surviving fortifications with a garden terrace overlooking the surrounding hills and the Sibillini mountains. Its military origins belong to Cesare Borgia's brief domination of the city.

Why it matters

The fortress was intended to control the conquered town as well as to provide a stronghold. Its later transformation into a public garden changed the meaning of a structure associated with the struggle between Borgia and Da Varano power.

What to notice

The trapezoidal plan includes cylindrical towers and a substantial quadrangular keep. A former ditch separated the fortress from the town. Garden planting softens the surviving defensive masonry, while busts commemorate Filippo Marchetti, Ugo Betti and Nazzareno Strampelli. The terrace's position makes the relationship between town, cliff and wider landscape especially clear.

Context and history

Construction began in 1503 on Cesare Borgia's orders. After his fall, Giovanni Maria da Varano completed the stronghold and linked it with the ducal palace by a largely underground passage. Later uses included a lazaretto. Partial demolition in 1867 altered the fortress and the adjoining San Pietro in Muralto complex. The garden was laid out in 1924.