Medieval castles in Lombardy
Sforza Castle
Sforza Castle was built in the 15th century by Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan, on the remnants of a 14th-century fortification. Later renovated and enlarged, in the 16th and 17th centuries it was one of the largest citadels in Europe. Extensively rebuilt by Luca Beltrami in 1891–1905, it now houses several of the city"s museums and art collections. History The original construction was ordered by local lord ...
Founded: 14th century |
Location:
Milan, Italy
Sirmione Castle
Sirmione castle was built near the end of the 12th century as part of a defensive network surrounding Verona. The castle was maintained and extended first as part of the Veronese protection against their rivals in Milan and later under the control of the Venetian inland empire. The massive fortress is totally surrounded by water and has an inner porch which houses a Roman and Medieval lapidary. From the drawbridge, a stai ...
Founded: 12th century |
Location:
Sirmione, Italy
Visconti-Sforza Castle
The Visconti-Sforza Castle is a Middle Age castle located in the centre of the city of Vigevano, Lombardy. Luchino Visconti, Lord of Milan and ruler of Vigevano since 1337, began to transform the existing fortification into a local residence for his family. The construction was continued by Gian Galeazzo Visconti, first Duke of Milan, and completed by his heirs, Ludovico il Moro and his grandchild Gian Galeazzo Sforza. ...
Founded: c. 1337 |
Location:
Vigevano, Italy
St. George Castle
The Castle of St. George (Castello di San Giorgio) was built from 1395 and finished in 1406 under commission by Francesco I Gonzaga, designed by Bartolino da Novara, one of the most renowned military architects of the time. It has as square plan with four corner towers, surrounded by a ditch with three entrances, each one with a drawbridge. In 1459 architect Luca Fancelli, commissioned by marquis Ludovico III Gonzaga ...
Founded: 1395-1406 |
Location:
Mantua, Italy
Brescia Castle
Brescia Castle on the rocky hill is the ancient part of Brixia, Roman city established in the 1st century BCE. The castle is called the 'Falcon of Italy' because of its position on the summit of the hill, where it overlooks the city from above. It is one of the largest fortified complexes in Italy with 75,000 square metres enclosed within its surrounding walls. The old Venetian-Visconti stronghold dominates the city and ...
Founded: 14th century |
Location:
Brescia, Italy
San Vigilio Castle
Representing a clearly visible symbol of power, San Vigilio Castle has been the residence of Bergamo’s numerous rulers for centuries. It is located 496 meters above the sea level, on top of the hill that gives it its name, overlooking the Città Alta: that’s why it used to have a strategic role in case of attacks. The circle plan of the building resembles a star, featuring the four towers called Castagneta, Belvedere, ...
Founded: 12th century |
Location:
Bergamo, Italy
Visconti Castle
The Visconti Castle in Pavia was built in 1360 by Galeazzo II Visconti, soon after the taking of the city, a free city-state until then. The credited architect is Bartolino da Novara. The castle used to be the main residence of the Visconti family, while the political capital of the state was Milan. North of the castle a wide park was enclosed, also including the Certosa of Pavia, founded 1396 according to a vow ...
Founded: 1360 |
Location:
Pavia, Italy
Vezio Castle
Castello di Vezio is a castle located nearby Varenna and Perledo. Characterized in the main tower by square merlons, similar to Cly Castle in Aosta Valley, it commands the Lake Como. It was once connected by walls to the village of Varenna below. The castle was built in the late 11th-early 12th century and was restored several times in the following centuries. In the late 19th century and in 1956 remains of tombs from th ...
Founded: 11th century |
Location:
Varenna, Italy
Rocca Borromeo di Angera
The Rocca Borromeo di Angera, also called Borromeo Castle, is a castle that stands on a lakeside hilltop in the limits of the town of Angera on the shores of Lago Maggiore. It is visible from across the lake from Arona, where originally stood another castle formerly owned by the Borromeo family. Before 1227, the castle belonged to the Della Torre family, who lost the possession to the Visconti after the Battle of D ...
Founded: 13th century |
Location:
Angera, Italy
Desenzano Castle
The ancient Desenzano castle was originally built around the year 1000. Enlarged at the end of the 15th century, the castle never became a real military fort, but served primarily as a refuge for the population. The plan of the castle is an irregular rectangle, with the tower that stands out at the entrance on the northern side, protecting the drawbridge, which loopholes for the chains are still preserved. The castle is o ...
Founded: c. 1000 |
Location:
Desenzano del Garda, Italy
Somma Lombardo Castle
Buildings at the site of Somma Lombardo Castle date from the 9th century and the fortress from the 13th century. In 1448, the brothers Francesco and Guido Visconti, took refuge in this town and castle from the forces of the Ambrosian Republic. They divided the landholdings and portions of the castle. The fortress has been amalgamated from adjacent residences, all once surrounded by a single moat. From the brother Francesc ...
Founded: 13th century |
Location:
Somma Lombardo, Italy
Soncino Castle
Soncino Castle was built originally in the 10th century to defend the borough from the marauding Hungarians. In 1200 it was besieged several times by the armies of Milan and Brescia, and in 1283, after being destroyed by the attacks of those armies, the commune of Soncino decided to rebuild the castle. In 1312 the castle was occupied by the Cremonese army, and in 1391 by the Milanese army, using it during the war aga ...
Founded: 1468 |
Location:
Soncino, Italy
Lonato Castle
The Lonato medieval castle 'La Rocca' rises on a hill which dominates the southern part of Lake Garda and is one of the most impressive castles in all of Lombardy. Set inland, overlooking the ancient town of Lonato, the Rocca is an imposing structure nearly 180 meters long and 45 meters wide, complete with drawbridge! Throughout the years and centuries, Lonato del Garda was ruled by various peoples and families who fough ...
Founded: 10th century AD |
Location:
Lonato, Italy
Trezzo sull'Adda Castle
The Castle of Trezzo sull"Adda is located on a hill within a bend of the Adda river and from this protected on two sides. On the remaining side it is closed by a wall and a 42-meter high tower. Part of the castle was the fortified bridge over the river, destroyed in 1416. The site was inhabited since prehistoric time by Celtic populations and after the VII century hosted a Longobard settlement, which was als ...
Founded: 1370 |
Location:
Trezzo sull'Adda, Italy
Somasca Castle
Castello dell’Innominato ('the unnamed castle') history dates back to the Carolingian period. At that time on the hill of Somasca, the upper district of Vercurago, there was a signalling tower, that became a fortress some centuries later (documented in 1158). From 1454 this land felt into the clutches of the Republic of Venice and the Adda River became the natural border between the Serenissima (Venice ...
Founded: 12th century |
Location:
Lecco, Italy
Legnano Castle
Castello Visconteo in Legnano dates back to the 13th century. The origins of the castle are connected to an ancient convent of Augustinian Regulars, whose presence has been documented since 1231. It has been restored in the 2000s.
Founded: 13th century |
Location:
Legnano, Italy
Monzambano Castle
Monzambano Castle dates from the 11th century by Matilda Canossa. Later it was owned by the Scaligeri and Visconti families until lost its purpose in the 18th century.
Founded: 11th century |
Location:
Monzambano, Italy
Lodi Castle
From the 14th century Lodi was ruled by the Visconti family, who built a castle there. The castle was built between 1355-1370 and was enforced in the next century. Today only some parts of the castle remain.
Founded: 1355 |
Location:
Lodi, Italy
Oldofredi Castle
The Oldofredi castle was one of three fortifications built to defend Montisola: the second was the fortress Oldofredi Martinengo in Sensole and the third was in Siviano. Like the Sensole castle, with which it is often confused in many sources, the Peschiera castle was also owned by the Oldofredi family. A tower may be used by Frederick Barbarossa in 1162 as a military observation point. The first document attesting the pr ...
Founded: 12th century |
Location:
Iseo, Italy
Malpaga Castle
An early medieval castle in Malpaga had been in ruins after a raid in the 1440s. In 1456, the condottiero and nobleman Bartolomeo Colleoni acquired the ruined castle from the commune of Bergamo. He enlarged and enriched it not only as a military base for his troops, but also as a seigneurial residence, in the typical Italian Renaissance fashion. The castle layout is square, surrounded by two lines of walls and a ...
Founded: 15th century |
Location:
Malpaga, Italy