The splendid Rocca Possente di Stellata is one of the most significant examples of military architecture in the Este territories. Probably built around the year 1000, it is first mentioned in an official document in 1142, and was later enlarged and strengthened by the Este in 1362.
Its strategic position on the Po allowed it to control river traffic together with the Rocca di Ficarolo, located on the opposite bank, to which it was linked by a chain that could block or allow the passage of vessels. Destroyed in 1510 and again in 1521, it was subsequently rebuilt.
Particularly striking is the configuration of its walls, set on the diagonal to better withstand enemy artillery. The star-shaped ground plan of the structure probably dates from before 1570; this distinctive form gave its name to the village of Stellata.
The present appearance of the Rocca is the result of a complex sequence of building campaigns and demolitions, to the point that it is still not entirely clear whether its current layout stems from a sixteenth-century Este-period remodelling or from a restructuring promoted under papal rule in the first half of the following century.