The central Giuseppe Garibaldi Square (Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi), of medieval and triangular shape, dates back to 1200 and is almost intentionally placed halfway between the two villages of the country (village below and village above).
The first striking thing about this place is the presence in all the soils on the sides of the porticoes, whose columns are of chiseled stone, which in the past were used to accommodate large crowds at the weekly markets and annual fairs.
On the square overlook the ancient Palazzo Pretorio and the Civic Tower, known among the Rocchigiani as the Campanone; both buildings date back to 1300 and have undergone numerous restorations after the strong earthquake that struck the country in 1661.
Palazzo Pretorio became in 1776 the seat of numerous public offices, the Subprefecture and the Prisons because, that same year, the capital of Romagna-Tuscany was transferred from Terra del Sole to Rocca San Casciano.
Admiring the Civic Tower it is still possible to notice a clock set in ceramic and the glazed terracotta statue of the Madonna Addolorata, dating back to the end of the ‘600, who has a sword that pierces her heart and seems to weep for the misfortune that struck the country with the earthquake of 1661.
The ground floor of the Tower houses the ancient workshop of the Shoemaker “Sgalì” now open to admire the tools and tools used by the “cobbler”.
Text author: Avv. Rabiti Elisa
