La Rocca di Caldiero

The Rocca di Caldiero is certainly one of the oldest inhabited places in the East Verona area. At the summit, traces of prehistoric villages dating back to the Iron Age have been found. Subsequently, the Romans built a fortified outpost to oversee the communication routes. Starting from 476 AD, the Visigoths, Ostrogoths, and Huns invaded Caldiero and besieged the Rocca: from this moment on, the hill was used as a refuge for the inhabitants, and around 700-800 AD, construction of the medieval fort began on a Roman cistern.

Due to the continuous rivalries between the Guelphs and Ghibellines over succession to the Scaligeri dynasty, the Rocca was set on fire multiple times. After its destruction and the fire in 1239 caused by Ezzelino da Romano, along with the various battles fought until 1404, a period of calm began.

It was only with Dr. Parisi, around the mid-1800s, that the restoration of the building known as the castle took place, bringing the structure back to its ancient splendor, in addition to the construction of a villa in Gothic-Neoclassical style designed by Guido Gaspari.

The villa, with its bizarre octagonal shape and neo-Gothic style, is entirely frescoed, and inside a spiral staircase connects the various floors. In the basements, there is also a small crypt and a votive chapel.
The complex is set within a natural park, with tree-lined avenues and paths. Now, the space is used as a City Park, featuring a multipurpose area and the possibility of organizing events, concerts, and cultural moments.