Malpaga Castle

Malpaga, Italy

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 ditch. The first line, now disappeared, included the stables and the barracks. The walls are characterized by merlons. The castle's internal walls are almost entirely frescoed, although some of them have deteriorated or been vandalized. Some frescoes celebrate the 1474 visit of King Christian I of Denmark and the sumptuous hospitality given him by Bartolomeo Colleoni, including banquets, hunting expeditions and tournaments. They were commissioned by Bartolomeo's heirs around 1520-1530 to celebrate the family's most famous member, and are attributed to Il Romanino. On the first floor are 17th-century frescoes of lesser quality.

Aside from Christian I's visit, the frescoes also depict allegories, such as that of Silence (an allusion to the secrets which should be kept by the castle's personnel), and the idealized portraits of Colleoni and the king. In the courtyard, also attributed to Romanino, is the depiction of the Battle of Molinella (or Riccardina), fought by Colleoni in 1467 near Bologna. Another 15th-century fresco of the Madonna with Child, by an unknown artist, is found in Colleoni's private studio.

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Address

Via Marconi 20, Malpaga, Italy
See all sites in Malpaga

Details

Founded: 15th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in Italy

More Information

www.castellomalpaga.it
en.wikipedia.org
www.visitbergamo.net

Rating

4.3/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Bergamo Cathedral (12,2 km)
Santa Maria Maggiore (12,2 km)
Tempietto di Santa Croce (12,2 km)
Sant'Agata Church (36,8 km)
Loggia dei Militi (57,6 km)
Cremona Baptistery (57,7 km)
Piazza della Loggia (36,9 km)
Broletto Palace (37 km)
Cremona Cathedral (57,6 km)

User Reviews

Dario Morandotti (13 months ago)
Beautiful castle with frescoes
Andy Ferrari (2 years ago)
Malus pagus
Nele Decock (2 years ago)
Nice old castle to explore also with kids.we were there in the second weekend of August and attended medieval festivities with a nice artisans' market (woodwork, honey,marmelade, toy knight's wear, celtic jewellery, leather bags, pastries, sirops, hydromel,....) And music/juggling/dance spectacles.with a good dose of humor top. Check the agenda on their Facebook ! Valso very nice start location to discover the nature area in Parco del Serio!
Cem Yuksel (2 years ago)
Interesting place from 13.th century. Nice views
Traci Glitters (2 years ago)
What a beautiful castle! Wow, this castle is from the 13th century. The tour was about an hour and was detailed, interesting and insightful. The staff was very kind. Parking adequate as well. This castlehas many frescos. Go see it!
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