A small town in the province of Ravenna, Sant'Agata sul Santerno is situated along the Road of San Vitale, which links Bologna to Ravenna, and where it interconnects with the river Santerno.
Mentioned for the first time in documents of the VIII century A.D., around year 1000, the village was fortified with a castle and embellished with a parish church. At first, the town belonged to the Lords of Faenza, then to the Benedictine Monks of Santa Maria in Cosmedin of Ravenna until 1377, then it was ceded to the Roman church. Located in strategically important position, the town was subject of contention between the various noble families of the Romagna region. In 1444 it became a property of the Dukes of Este in Ferrara until 1501, when it returned to the church. After 1859 Sant'Agata was united to the Province of Ravenna and in 1863, by royal decree, it assumed its present name.
Sites of Interest:
- the Dean Church of St. Agatha, built on the ruins of a more ancient church of the Renaissance. It features a Latin cross plan and contains paintings by famous local artists, such as: Tasselli di Lugo (XII century) and Orfeo Orfei of Massalombarda (XIX century);
- the Civic Watchtower (or clock tower), built above the gate entrance of the castle. Its construction dates back to year 1000 and according to some historians, the fortress was built by Barbarossa. Of the ancient castle remains only this tower, refurbished into a watchtower with a broad range of access, commonly known as "Porta" (gateway);
- the City Hall, which has always been used as a public building, presumed to be coeval with the building of the castle walls for the presence of oblique walls with "escarpment."