The Fort of Rubiera (13th century)

The Osteria del Viandante, as well as the entire historic Fort, is surrounded by large terraces of over 250 square meters with attention to every detail. To complete the historic crenellated parapets, large flower boxes filled with plants and light and functional roofing structures have been positioned to allow you to enjoy the outdoor areas even during the mid-seasons. In a more secluded corner of these wonderful terraces, the same light structures allow the centuries-old wisteria to climb and create a fresh and fragrant summer veranda.
The Osteria del Viandante inhabits the central square of Rubiera and is located in the wing of the Rocca built around 1200, in response to the one built in Marzaglia, also on the Via Emilia.
In the fifteenth century the design was finished with other important walls designed by the architect Biagio Rossetti (1447-1516). Over the centuries, the Rocca was owned by the Este family, by the Germans, by the French, again by the Este family, by the Austrians.
Garibaldi even tried to tear it down but was stopped by the war minister Fanti.
Towards the end of the nineteenth century, after such adventurous centuries, a pause.
The Osteria del Viandante opened under its previous management in the year 2000, effectively rekindling life at the Rocca, or at least the south-east bastion that occupies the portion that has remained unchanged over the centuries, preserving its spirit and charm.
A large staircase frescoed in the nineteenth century leads from the entrance to the rooms on the first floor, surrounded by a deep U-shaped terrace on the square of Rubiera and on the Via Emilia.

In 2021 Viandante begins all over again after a total renovation with a new management which fell in love with the place (impossible not to fall in love with so much beauty and history). The restyling focused on the recovery of all the precious materials already present on site, the original terracotta floors and the decorated tiles from the early twentieth century were worked on, the masonry walls and the plasters, bringing out the splendid nineteenth-century decorations – that had remained covered by layers of paint and wallpaper added in the 80s – to the light. The decorative apparatus and the frescoes differ from room to room, making them unique and exceptional, as if there had been a dedicated craftsman-artist for each.
The restorers were enthusiastic: as they exfoliated the more recent layers, the energy, light and colors of the past resurfaced with grace and refinement.
The wall furniture, tables, chairs, chandeliers and all the other components were mostly recovered from the cellars themselves and from the surroundings, carefully chosen by the new owner and restored with the utmost respect. All the original interior fixtures in waxed wood have been preserved and in dialogue with them new fixtures for the exteriors have been reproduced.
Master of ceremonies is the maître André Joao Cunha Fiaes, a young Portuguese with experiences in London and Italy, full of energy and passion. He, the chef Jacopo and the sommelier Mauro are the smiling face of the Viandante’s rebirth.