Sasso Mobile

Private villa closed to the public.

Built in the 16th century by a Bolognese nobleman, Giovanni Filotteo Achillini, this castle-like villa, located in the heart of Sasso Marconi, is characterized by a central tower flanked by two smaller ones. The villa stands out against the green backdrop of the hillside, at the foot of Castel del Vescovo which looks down from on high over the whole town. Giovanni’s nephew, Claudio Achillini, Bolognese poet and jurist, chose the peaceful countryside of Sasso, first as a sanctuary in which to concentrate on his studies, and later to seek refuge when the plague invaded Bologna in 1630, despite the insistence of the Cardinal Legate, to whom he served as secretary, that he resume his activities. He remained instead to compose poetry and pray for his salvation to his patron saint, Saint Apollonius, to whom he dedicated the a chapel he ordered built (Oratory of Saint Apollonius). It was here in the towers that Achillini composed some of the sonnets for which he is most famous, such as those dedicated to Louis XIII of France for the conquest of La Rochelle.