Can you Castle?

How many castles do you think we will see on our study abroad trip?







Here's one...
VIGNOLA
La Rocca in Vignola has the "famous spiral staircase designed by Jacopo Barozzi (1507-1573). This architect, known as "il Vignola", was later to design a number of important churches in Rome, and Palazzo Farnese at Caprarola, 60 km north of Rome. 

The remarkable thing about this staircase is that it is 

self-supporting, as it is built with no supporting pillars 

but all the weight is carried by the outer walls. In 1562 

Barozzi published a treatise on architecture, "Regola 

delli cinque ordini d'architettura", that continued to be used until the eighteenth century. In his home town of Vignola they are so proud of their famous son that years ago the local “pasticceria” created a chocolate and coffee cake in his honour, the Torta Barozzi. The recipe is a well kept secret and the cake can only be bought in very few places in Italy, so after your visit to the castle you might want to buy one in a box to take home. 
Description of the castle or “rocca” of Vignola (24 km south-east of Modena)"