Uploaded October 2025 | Updated September 2026, 13 hours ago
Riva Castle is a fortified complex located in Ponte dell'Olio, in the province of Piacenza. It is so called because it stands in the district of the town of the same name, whose name most likely derives from its proximity to the Nure stream; the castle was, in fact, built on the right bank of the stream to control the passage along the Nure valley. Its location, near the point where the Nure begins to flow into the Po Valley, was strategic as it allowed control of the passage towards the sea: through the Aveto valley towards Liguria and through the Taro valley towards Lunigiana. The castle, built largely by pebbles and stones from the nearby course of the Nure Torrente, is surrounded on the southern and oriental sides by a moat connected to the Nure stream; The scheme of the ditches, in combination with the stream placed in the West of the castle, guaranteed the protection of the castle from enemy assaults. The complex has an isoscel triangular -shaped plant, with the northern side, the longest one, parallel to the course of the Nure. The complex counts a total of three towers placed at the top of the triangle: on the north-west corner, facing the Nure bed, there is the square mastio, 30m high and with a base side 15 m long, characterized by shoes shoes overlooking the riverbed and equipped with masonry curtains and cantilevered berries united by the arches above which there are rod tailors. The interior of the tower consists of four floors, each with a room about 150m² large, connected together via different ramps of stairs, both internal and external. In the cellars of the tower there was before the restoration of the late nineteenth century an oblete: a room accessible only through a trap door placed on the ceiling and in which the prisoners were locked up. On the ground floor there is instead a weapon room, while on the top of the tower there is a panoramic terrace. Near the base of the tower, lapped by the waters of the nucto, there is the derivation that originates the Rio San Giorgio, a channel whose presence is documented already from the XII century whose waters were used to provide the sweater to the sweater dedicated to iron and paper processing, several of which owned by the Farnesian Ducal Chamber, and which flows up to re-enter the cloud near San Giorgio Piacentino. The south summit sees the presence of a square-shaped tower, while on the north-east summit there is the third tower, polygonal shape facing the internal side of the walls. Finally, on the curtain placed along the north-eastern side of the castle there is a broken napbed towers. The walls, equipped with Ghibelline battlements, are dominated by the Way of Ronda. An elegant loggia, built in 1703 by the Maggi family and equipped with all sixth arches, connects the mastio with the broken turret. Inside the complex, it is accessed from the south-eastern side, by means of an entrance equipped with a shutters and drawbridge bridge, of which only the joints remain. To protect the entrance there is an additional tower which, during the 16th century it had been equipped with birds and which was then partially incorporated into the main body of the building. After the entrance, the entrance are located, dedicated to hosting the guard body, the guardian rooms and another tower. On the external wall of the facade there are small round arc windows. In the garden placed inside the walls there is a well originally powered by the waters of the aquifer. According to a legend, a tunnel would be present which, passing below the moat, would connect one of the minor towers placed on the northern side of the building with a building located near the castle, originally part of the defensive system of the castle and later used to accommodate a maglio for iron.
Riva Castle is a fortified complex located in Ponte dell'Olio, in the province of Piacenza. It is so called because it stands in the district of the town of the same name, whose name most likely derives from its proximity to the Nure stream; the castle was, in fact, built on the right bank of the stream to control the passage along the Nure valley. Its location, near the point where the Nure begins to flow into the Po Valley, was strategic as it allowed control of the passage towards the sea: through the Aveto valley towards Liguria and through the Taro valley towards Lunigiana. The castle, built largely by pebbles and stones from the nearby course of the Nure Torrente, is surrounded on the southern and oriental sides by a moat connected to the Nure stream; The scheme of the ditches, in combination with the stream placed in the West of the castle, guaranteed the protection of the castle from enemy assaults. The complex has an isoscel triangular -shaped plant, with the northern side, the longest one, parallel to the course of the Nure. The complex counts a total of three towers placed at the top of the triangle: on the north-west corner, facing the Nure bed, there is the square mastio, 30m high and with a base side 15 m long, characterized by shoes shoes overlooking the riverbed and equipped with masonry curtains and cantilevered berries united by the arches above which there are rod tailors. The interior of the tower consists of four floors, each with a room about 150m² large, connected together via different ramps of stairs, both internal and external. In the cellars of the tower there was before the restoration of the late nineteenth century an oblete: a room accessible only through a trap door placed on the ceiling and in which the prisoners were locked up. On the ground floor there is instead a weapon room, while on the top of the tower there is a panoramic terrace. Near the base of the tower, lapped by the waters of the nucto, there is the derivation that originates the Rio San Giorgio, a channel whose presence is documented already from the XII century whose waters were used to provide the sweater to the sweater dedicated to iron and paper processing, several of which owned by the Farnesian Ducal Chamber, and which flows up to re-enter the cloud near San Giorgio Piacentino. The south summit sees the presence of a square-shaped tower, while on the north-east summit there is the third tower, polygonal shape facing the internal side of the walls. Finally, on the curtain placed along the north-eastern side of the castle there is a broken napbed towers. The walls, equipped with Ghibelline battlements, are dominated by the Way of Ronda. An elegant loggia, built in 1703 by the Maggi family and equipped with all sixth arches, connects the mastio with the broken turret. Inside the complex, it is accessed from the south-eastern side, by means of an entrance equipped with a shutters and drawbridge bridge, of which only the joints remain. To protect the entrance there is an additional tower which, during the 16th century it had been equipped with birds and which was then partially incorporated into the main body of the building. After the entrance, the entrance are located, dedicated to hosting the guard body, the guardian rooms and another tower. On the external wall of the facade there are small round arc windows. In the garden placed inside the walls there is a well originally powered by the waters of the aquifer. According to a legend, a tunnel would be present which, passing below the moat, would connect one of the minor towers placed on the northern side of the building with a building located near the castle, originally part of the defensive system of the castle and later used to accommodate a maglio for iron.
