Borromeo Castle, Peschiera Borromeo, Italy

Borromeo Castle of Peschiera is the oldest possession of the Borromeo family in Lombardy. The family came originally from San Miniato in Tuscany. The Borromeo family became wealthy due their commercial and financial activities abroad. In 1435, Banco Filippo Borromeo & Compagni set up a branch in London.

In 1432, Vitaliano Borromeo was granted to fortify Peschiera farmhouse. In the decades of the sixteenth century, the castle was entirely restored by Renato. It was Renato who gave the building its present residential character. The castle Borromeo is one of the few still surrounded by a moat full of water as it had been excavated more than five centuries ago.

References:

Borromeo Castle

User Reviews

Laura Legnani (19 months ago)
Se lasciate la macchina a Loc. San Bovio e prendete la strada sterrata sulla vostra sinistra, la percorrete per circa 2 km di camminata piacevole tra cascine e campi coltivati... sbucherete esattamente al Castello di Peschiera. Un consiglio: non fatela con il gran caldo perchè è tutta al sole.

Claudio Gallini (20 months ago)
Un maestoso fortilizio circondato da un fossato allagato! L’unica pecca è che non è visitabile, almeno al sabato pomeriggio! Un vero peccato!

Giancarlo Borromeo (20 months ago)
Edificio medioevale ancora cinto da un fossato. In un contesto paesaggistico di grande fascino

Alberti De Min (20 months ago)
Luogo da vedere solo esternamente in quanto non è accessible al pubblico una volta si poteva anche entrare in visita guidata, una volta vi erano eventi e feste, poi non so il motivo la proprietà ha posto il divieto di accedervi e ora lo si puo' ammirare solo esternamente, il luogo non è curato piu' di tanto ma d'altronde essendo abitazione privata deve piacere a chi vi abita e magari il degrado esterno è dato anche dal fatto che la struttura muraria antica deve mantenere il suo stato di "antico" e nulla esternamente puo' essere modificato.

zhanna guzhvenko (22 months ago)
Nice place for a quick ride in the suburbs

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright oxfordblues84

Historic Site of the week

Luxembourg Palace

The famous Italian Medici family have given two queens to France: Catherine, the spouse of Henry II, and Marie, widow of Henry IV, who built the current Luxembourg palace. Maria di Medici had never been happy at the Louvre, still semi-medieval, where the fickle king, did not hesitate to receive his mistresses. The death of Henry IV, assassinated in 1610, left the way open for Marie's project. When she became regent, she was able to give special attention to the construction of an imposing modern residence that would be reminiscent of the Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens in Florence, where she grew up. The development of the 25-hectare park, which was to serve as a jewel-case for the palace, began immediately.

The architect, Salomon de Brosse, began the work in 1615. Only 16 years later was the palace was completed. Palace of Luxembourg affords a transition between the Renaissance and the Classical period.

In 1750, the Director of the King's Buildings installed in the wing the first public art-gallery in France, in which French and foreign canvases of the royal collections are shown. The Count of Provence and future Louis XVIII, who was living in Petit Luxembourg, had this gallery closed in 1780: leaving to emigrate, he fled from the palace in June 1791.

During the French Revolution the palace was first abandoned and then moved as a national prison. After that it was the seat of the French Directory, and in 1799, the home of the Sénat conservateur and the first residence of Napoleon Bonaparte, as First Consul of the French Republic. The old apartments of Maria di Medici were altered. The floor, which the 80 senators only occupied in 1804, was built in the middle of the present Conference Hall.

Beginning in 1835 the architect Alphonse de Gisors added a new garden wing parallel to the old corps de logis, replicating the look of the original 17th-century facade so precisely that it is difficult to distinguish at first glance the old from the new. The new senate chamber was located in what would have been the courtyard area in-between.

The new wing included a library (bibliothèque) with a cycle of paintings (1845–1847) by Eugène Delacroix. In the 1850s, at the request of Emperor Napoleon III, Gisors created the highly decorated Salle des Conférences, which influenced the nature of subsequent official interiors of the Second Empire, including those of the Palais Garnier.

During the German occupation of Paris (1940–1944), Hermann Göring took over the palace as the headquarters of the Luftwaffe in France, taking for himself a sumptuous suite of rooms to accommodate his visits to the French capital. Since 1958 the Luxembourg palace has been the seat of the French Senate of the Fifth Republic.

Do you know an ancient castle or magnificent church near you?

Why not share it with other people interested in history? You can add your own historic sites and attractions to SpottingHistory.com.

It's absolutely free, easy, and doesn't even need registration!

Upload data

Looks like you are a history fan!

Do you know an ancient castle or hidden ruins near you?

Why not share it with other people interested in history? You can add your own historic sites and attractions to SpottingHistory. It's absolutely free, easy, and you can do it even without registration (of course you an also create an free account)!

Borromeo Castle

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Most beautiful castles in Lithuania

Cultural Landscape of Sintra, Portugal

The Beauty of Cinque Terre

Historic Site of the week

Luxembourg Palace

Looks like you are a history fan!

Do you know an ancient castle or hidden ruins near you?