Castel Pizigolo. Struttura dell’insediamento fortificato e sfruttamento delle risorse naturali

Technical Information

In the Apennines on the border between Modena and Reggio Emilia, at the point where the Dolo river narrows and begins to flow inside a narrow canyon, on a hill overlooking the watercourse are the remains of Castel Pizigolo . Of this fortified site, of great importance in the Middle Ages, nothing remains above but a few fragments of masonry hidden in the woods or visible in the meadows eroded by the gullies. Archaeological research has allowed us to shed some light on this castle, first of all clarifying that it was founded for the control of the salt water sources which were numerous along the bed of the Dolo. The oldest phases of occupation seem to refer to the Carolingian age (XNUMXth-XNUMXth centuries), but it was in the communal age (XNUMXth-XNUMXth century) that Castel Pizigolo reached its period of maximum expansion. At that time, the site was characterized by a tower, a church dedicated to St. Thomas, a cemetery area and a hamlet. Just in the moment of maximum splendor, the history of Castel Pizigolo seems to end abruptly (second half of the XNUMXth century): the tower was demolished and the village destroyed by fire. Only the church remained on site, which was definitively abandoned in the XNUMXth century. This is what emerged from the first excavation campaigns and finds its critical edition in this volume. Excavation data, an exhaustive study of the territory and an analysis of construction techniques and production processes are presented. All of this is accompanied by an analytical investigation of the various classes of artefacts found, making the case of Castel Pizigolo a significant element in understanding the phenomenon of castle building in the Emilian Apennines.