Monumentale - Monte: Art and Functionality

This neighborhood arose where Mount Rodolfo was first discovered, at the heart of what would become the territory of Cismarina. It was the city’s first neighborhood entirely dedicated to monumental architecture.

Originally conceived as an extension of the Historic Center, it developed from the City Gate—an arch originally intended to be the sole entrance to the Historic Center and the start of a defensive wall that was never built due to the rapid pace of urban expansion.

From the beginning, it was clear that the city needed to extend towards the sea and Mount Rodolfo. This quadrant, flat for the first stretch and then progressively more hilly, offered both opportunities and challenges. The uneven slopes prevented linear construction, leading builders toward the base of the mountain. The entire western section was leveled to make space for functionally important and visually striking buildings, gradually refined to become one of the city’s first showcases.

The Monumental-Mount Neighborhood was designed as the first part of the new city where functionality and beauty would stand on equal ground. Improvements in recent years—including the construction of the University, the demolition of the Cattle Forum, and the redevelopment of the wool production area—have made this one of the most visited neighborhoods in Cismarina.

University of Cismarina

Especially since its reconstruction in 2023, the University has been one of the city’s most magnificent buildings. Architecturally connected to the Palace of the Porticoes, it extends towards Monumental Square. The University is one of the few buildings in Cismarina with a fully glass roof. Its dome provides natural light to the Aula Magna, located on the top floor, and symbolizes the idea that knowledge broadens horizons and illuminates those who pursue it.

The University contains two teaching halls, the Aula Magna, and one of the city’s most important libraries. On the ground floor is the Electoral Hall, in use since 3202, where governors return at the end of every legislature—a symbolic rite of passage before elections.

Electoral Hall

Originally, the hall was where governors were required to deposit all the tools of their office at the end of a legislature, symbolizing the return of authority to the citizens. Over time, this practice was abandoned, but the ritual of the governor’s return to the designated hall remains.

Cattle Forum ("Foro Boario")

The Cattle Forum was once a vast enclosed area for raising cattle, providing meat, leather, and experience points. Its monumental entrance was loosely inspired by the Cattle Forum of Modena, though architecturally simpler. Located just behind the historic Villa Cottage, it long held a central functional role. Eventually abandoned, its stables and arcades were demolished, making way for the Garden behind Villa Cottage.

Monumental Square

One of the largest squares in the Republic, Monumental Square is framed by the Monument, the University, the Great Tower (built in 2015), Villa Cottage, and, more recently, automated food-production machines. Its paving, once made of simple stone, has been enriched with elaborate patterns and stones recovered from the submerged palaces of Grontolom.

Great Tower ("Torre Granda")

Inspired by Bologna’s Asinelli Tower, the Great Tower stands 135 cubits tall. For years it was the tallest structure in Cismarina and the Republic. More recently, a flight platform was added at the top, and a remarkable bubble elevator was installed inside—a project that took many days to complete.

The Monument ("Il Monumento")

The defining symbol of the neighborhood, the Monument is tall and imposing, inspired by the Rationalist architecture of the 1920s and 1930s. Originally intended as a civic altar for city ceremonies—a tradition never carried on by later governors—it remains one of the city’s proudest landmarks and still attracts visitors from beyond the Republic’s borders.

Showroom Square ("Piazza dello Showroom")

Located behind the Monument, this was the site of the Showroom, a striking, ship-hull-shaped building on the neighborhood’s dock. Intended as a bright, three-story convention center with an eastern watchtower, it was only partially used and fell into disrepair. Today, only the watchtower remains standing.

The Market ("Il Mercato della Darsena")

Built on the dock, the Market was originally intended as the hub for goods arriving from outside the city. It is a magnificent square structure, porticoed on the outside and open within, designed for the display of merchandise. However, it never came into full use, as it predated the Villagers’ trade mechanics in Minecraft. Today, it houses the Cismarina Museum of Natural History.

Geographic Institute ("Istituto Geografico")

Standing just south of the Market, the Geographic Institute has been here since the Kingdom era. Its location was chosen to be close to the city’s great map, displayed on the eastern side of the Monument.

The Five Tombs

Located north of the Market, these are the original burial sites of five key governors and kings of Cismarina and Grontolom. Built years before the Crypt of Cismarina Cathedral, where the remains now rest, the tombstones have been preserved for their historic and cultural value.

The Cismarina Sign

Built on the western slope of Mount Rodolfo in wool as a proud statement of the Monumental neighborhood, the sign has been rebuilt several times. The latest version includes Nether lanterns and a complex redstone circuit, allowing the sign to be lit or darkened at will.

City Granary ("Il Granaio")

Still the primary food hub of the Republic, the City Granary is the only site equipped with four automated farming machines (for potatoes, beets, carrots, and wheat). Its storehouses contain the largest collection of wheat bales in Cismarina.

Hotel Morgendorffer

The Hotel Morgendorffer is the building that has taken the longest to complete in both Cismarina and the Republic. Officially finished, it is still undergoing ceiling replacements. Built on the site of the city’s first Royal-era port, construction began before the reign of King Frank X (with some records suggesting as far back as King Altero I, who ruled from 2830 to 2877). Initially conceived as both a condominium and hotel, it was later proposed as the new seat of the city government. Today, it remains unused. The building contains a bubble elevator reaching the top floor and a rooftop garden. On the centenary of King Frank X’s coronation, a large illuminated sign (“FRANK X 100”) was added in his honor.

Villa Cottage

Villa Cottage is the city’s oldest purpose-built residence. Designed in English style and constructed around 2014–2015, it served for years as the governor’s warehouse and residence. To this day, it holds chests of resources that have never been transferred to the Central Warehouse in the Historic Center.