Castle of Pico

The Castello dei Pico is a Romanesque medieval fortress at the heart of Mirandola in Emilia-Romagna, founded around 1102. For centuries it served as the ancestral seat of the Pico family, one of the most powerful noble dynasties of the Po Plain — the Renaissance philosopher Giovanni Pico della Mirandola was among its most famous sons. Listed as an Italian national monument, the castle anchors the Piazza Marconi and remains the defining architectural landmark of the old town center. The surrounding district was heavily damaged in the 2012 Emilia earthquakes but has since been substantially restored.