Castrocaro Terme and Terra del Sole is a village in the province of Forlì-Cesena in the Emilia-Romagna region with the Orange Flag title. The municipality is composed of the capital Castrocaro Terme and the two villages, Terra del Sole and Pieve Salutare.
Originally the municipality of Castrocaro was part of the region called Romagna Toscana, although it never formed part of the Tuscany Region, meant as an institution and not an historical territory. The village of Castrocaro is known for its Etruscan thermal center and for hosting the Castrocaro Festival, a festival dedicated to the discovery of new singers.
The historic center of Castrocaro is surrounded by three medieval walls and enriched by valuable Renaissance buildings. The fortress that dominates the village is a testimony of considerable architectural, historical and cultural value and is among the most important models of fortresses in Romagna. In addition to it, you can see the Baptistery of San Giovanni, the Bell Tower, Palazzo Piancastelli and the Church of Saints Nicolò and Francesco, which houses a precious work by Palmezzano.
Terra del Sole, a fraction of the municipality of Castrocaro, was built in 1564 at the behest of Cosimo I De 'Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany. Located in the Romagna hinterland, Terra del Sole was conceived as "Città Fortezza", in fact it is surrounded by 13 meters high walls and surmounted by two castles, that one of the Captain of the Artillery in defense of the Florentine village and that of the Governor, in defense of the Roman village. Piazza d'Armi, also called Piazza Maggiore, of Renaissance architecture, is the true urban center. The square was once the theater of the monthly exercises of the Compagnia del Presidio and, on the occasion of the patronal feast, hosted the "General Review" of the soldiers.
The two most important buildings overlook it: the Church of Santa Reparata and the Palazzo dei Commissari or Palazzo Pretorio.
As for the cooking, Castrocaro offers the best wine and food tradition of Romagna, such as pasta, piadina, cold cuts and meats. The surrounding hills boast a renowned wine tradition with excellent wines with a strong character: the red Sangiovese, the white Trebbiano, also widespread in the national area, and others such as Albana, Pagadebit and Cagnina.