The Fortress of Ferrara

Historically, the Stellata site has had a defensive-military vocation, expressed from the Middle Ages to the modern era. The presence of moats and trenches dates back to around the year 1000, while a fortress at Ficarolo, on the opposite bank of the Po, is mentioned as early as the 11th century.
The riverside position of Stellata along the right bank of the Po, directly opposite Ficarolo on the left bank, follows a traditional pattern in the distribution of riverine settlements, found along the entire course of the Po and other plains rivers.

The control of river navigation, particularly along the Po, which was the main artery for the movement of people and goods in the entire Po Valley, meant that Stellata-Ficarolo and other riverside centers had a landing or port, often equipped with structures and organization for the control of vessels and the collection of duties.

This natural function of Stellata, inherent in its topographical position, became even more pronounced with the 12th-century Ficarolo river routes when the Po formed a new channel, bifurcating into the older Po di Ferrara to the south and the newer Po di Venezia to the north, situated right at Stellata-Ficarolo, making it a strategically important node at the root of the Po delta system.

To this geographical fact, we must add a historical one that highlights the delicacy and importance of the location; it should be noted that Stellata marked the boundary with the Mantuan territory.
River bifurcation and state boundary made this center a natural meeting point and traffic distribution hub via waterway.

Niccolò II d'Este, who in 1385 built the Estense Castle of San Michele in Ferrara, also fortified Stellata by building a new fortress called Rocca Possente, on the site of the previous one, in 1362.
For the pre-1362 Rocca, we have a record from Cittadella, taken from a municipal archive register: “There is a memory that in 1339, fearing that a Venetian fleet would descend the Po towards Milan, Roccapossente was equipped with palisades through the terraces with lattices and palisades on the bastions, with ramparts and bombards in the towers, and with bombards to defend the entrance bridge, on whose tower a bell was placed, and adding on the river barges, ganzaroli, and barbotte.”
Stellata and Ficarolo, forming the first barrier along the border from possible attacks coming from the plain, i.e., from Milan, primarily had to defend the Po's bifurcation.

Enemy ships coming from Venice, after ascending the Po Grande, had to be prevented from entering the Po di Ferrara, reaching the city, and surrounding it.
This maneuver was heroically foiled in 1482 during one of the most delicate phases of the war with Venice, when the stronghold of Ficarolo fell after more than fifty days of siege, and the Venetian general Sanseverino and admiral Moro positioned a powerful army and numerous galleys under the Rocca di Stellata.

The Resistance of Stellata allowed the arrival of the Ferrarese army and its allies, led by Federico da Montefeltro, Duke of Urbino, commander of the league formed to defend Ferrara, who managed to turn the tide of the war.
Still in 1509, Stellata managed to intercept some Venetian schire, preventing them from reaching Polesella, where the decisive battle, won by the Ferraresi, took place: only in December 1510 did the Venetians manage to occupy the Rocca.
It is evident from reading the pages of Ferrara's history by Frizzi that the Rocca had to be equipped with further defenses, which were reinforced during wartime events both in the Po and around the building and along the embankments.

The passage of the river was then regulated by a passacatena, which in some cases prevented or allowed the passage of ships.
The fortress was therefore part of a broader and more complex defensive organization, closely related to that of Ficarolo.

News of a new construction is reported in the year 1557, by the will of Duke Ercole II d'Este together with his son Alfonso, fearing that the Spaniards at war with the French after the victory of S. Quintino might invade the Este territory.
Another destruction seems to have occurred in 1587; “Alfonso II, almost at the end of his reign, decreed its demolition, with the childish intent of eliminating a lure for his enemies.”

It is unclear how this news should be interpreted, as the source is not mentioned; the history of the constructions and destructions of the Rocca di Stellata appears rather complex.
After the Este duchy was devolved to the papal state in 1598, the popes continued to pay attention to Stellata, as it was objectively an important strategic site.
Urban VIII had fortifications executed in 1629.

In 1708, the Austrians, during the war of succession, conquered Stellata and, in the agreements with the papal Legate, tied the cession of the territory to the demolition of the bastions, which was completed on November 1 of the same year, while the Rocca, no longer posing any danger, was untouched.

The current Rocca, which recent restoration has returned to its original appearance while preserving the look it took on during the 17th century, features a star-shaped plan with four points inscribed within a square.
It clearly belongs to that phase of military architecture called "transitional," marking the transition from traditional weapons to the introduction of artillery between 1500 and 1570.

In 1482, the Venetian troops under General Sanseverino managed to storm the Benedetta Rocca after fifty days of siege and positioned themselves with ships led by Admiral Moro below the Rocca Possente, awaiting its surrender. But the tenacious soldiers guarding the fort displayed an arsenal kept precisely for such cases and managed to hold out until the arrival of Federico da Montefeltro, Duke of Urbino, commander-in-chief of the League formed to defend Ferrara from the expansionist aims of the Venetian Republic. Unfortunately, the Possente could not withstand the Venetian troops and had to surrender, but immediately after its surrender, the Pope ordered a halt to the opponents, and politically, in 1484, the Rocca di Stellata returned to the Este dukes.

This momentous battle, called the "War of Salt," is still reenacted today, every year, at the Rocca di Stellata on August 27 and 28: it is an event that stages the ancient siege and winds through the streets of the entire town with various initiatives and a picturesque historical costume parade involving many of the inhabitants.
The resistances of the Possente remained in the memory of the local people and further justified the challenging name assigned to it over time. Linked to the Rocca di Ficarolo by a passacatena, it mandated complete control of both the ships ascending the river from its mouth and those traversing it to reach the sea.

The Possente managed to block some Venetian vessels heading to Polesella, where in 1509 the troops of the Serenissima still attempted to penetrate the Polesine territory to reach Ferrara: this time, however, the Ferrarese prevailed.
Finally conquered by the Venetians in 1510, it remained in their hands for twenty years and was subsequently completely demolished. After almost fifty years, Duke Ercole II d'Este, with the consent of his son Alfonso II, decided to rebuild it to prevent the Spaniards, then fighting against French troops and having already achieved a significant victory at San Quintino, from invading the vast territory dominated by the Este.

It is said to have been destroyed again in 1587, although chronicles no longer mention the year of the subsequent reconstruction. In 1598, with the death of Alfonso II, the Este family saw its extinction, and the transition of Stellata into papal hands brought significant care and attention from the papal seat to the Rocca: it was considered a crucial defensive bulwark, so much so that Urban VIII ordered further fortifications in 1629.
The construction observable today essentially maintains the layout it assumed in the 17th century, despite undergoing further recent restoration. The star-shaped plan, with four equally long points inscribed within a square, seems also to be the reason for the name assumed by the nearby town. Today, the interior of the Possente preserves the ancient layout of the original fort and is open to visitors on Sunday afternoons and public holidays.

Info: www.comune.bondeno.fe.it