Built in 1330 at the behest of the French Cardinal Bertrand du Pouget this fortress was meant to keep the Bolognese under Papal Rule but they destroyed it in 1404. It was later rebuilt twice under Cardinal Baldassarre Cossa, Pope Eugenio IV Condulmer and Pope Giulio II – all ending in disaster as the Bolognese refused to surrender their autonomy.

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Castello Galliera Photos

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About Castello Galliera

On the doorstep of the bus station, at the end of Via Indipendenza, are the ruins of Castello Galliera.

This once urban fortress was constructed at the behest of the ecclesiastical body that sought to consolidate their grip over Bologna on behalf of the Papal State. However, the Bolognese were not the type to accept repression at any price and so when the French Cardinal Bertrand du Pouget ordered the building of a castle here  in 1330 the Bolognese eventually demolished it in 1404. Their efforts to illustrate their desire for autonomy may have seemed in vain because Cardinal Baldassarre Cossa set in motion the second reconstruction of the fortress. Alas, the Bolognese once again destroyed this one in 1411.

The third building was also initiated by Cossa who later became Pope Giovanni XXIII. In fact, it took Pope Eugenio IV Condulmer to rebuild it for the fourth time in 1507, then Pope Giulio II from Rovere on the fifth attempt which included a citadel for extra measure before it too was destroyed in 1511. It seemed therefore that the Bolognese finally made their point and the city won its autonomy.

References

http://www.ibs.it/code/9788831791977/benevolo-giancarlo/castello-porta-galliera.html