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On the site of the current Visconti-Castelbarco Castle, a fortification had been existing at least since the 10th century. At the end of the 13th century the castle became a property of the Visconti of Milan. It was then inherited by a lineage originated by Uberto, brother of Matteo Lord of Milan, initially the Visconti di Somma and later the Visconti di Cislago.
Destroyed in the 17th century, it was raised again in the form of a baroque villa on the original U-shaped plan and with two towers at the corners of the main facade. A crenellated roof was added to the building, providing the current revival castle aspect.
The castle belonged to the Visconti di Cislago until the 18th century. The marriage of the last female member of the Visconti di Cislago to a Castelbarco led the castle in the hands of the bridegroom's family. Their descendants assumed the surname of Castelbarco-Visconti.
References:The Broch of Gurness is an Iron Age broch village. Settlement here began sometime between 500 and 200 BC. At the centre of the settlement is a stone tower or broch, which once probably reached a height of around 10 metres. Its interior is divided into sections by upright slabs. The tower features two skins of drystone walls, with stone-floored galleries in between. These are accessed by steps. Stone ledges suggest that there was once an upper storey with a timber floor. The roof would have been thatched, surrounded by a wall walk linked by stairs to the ground floor. The broch features two hearths and a subterranean stone cistern with steps leading down into it. It is thought to have some religious significance, relating to an Iron Age cult of the underground.
The remains of the central tower are up to 3.6 metres high, and the stone walls are up to 4.1 metres thick.