Belgioioso Castle, Belgioioso, Italy

Belgioioso is noted for its medieval castle, the seat of the Belgiojoso family. It is believed to have been the initiative of Galeazzo II, who had it built on the extensive landholdings of the Visconti family in the second half of the 14th century. Francis I of France was held there after the Battle of Pavia.

This historic monument now offers a stunning setting for public and private events, including weddings and company parties.

User Reviews

Roberto Buzzi (13 months ago)
Love it. Beautiful views of the Ticino river and the city. A romantic spot too.....

richard beazley (14 months ago)
The best wedding ever, with the most amazing people, thank you Benni and Susana I love you xxx

Sandy Stellato (17 months ago)
All vintage... interesting some things over priced.

Riccardo Bottani (2 years ago)
Amazing place to visit! Spring and Autumn are the best times to enjoy a day at the castle as they host great fairs. The park is beautiful too and there is a food trucks area in the inner garden

Negin Mansouri (2 years ago)
Amazing day spent at Castello di Belgioioso. The castle is one of the most breathtaking historic landmarks near milan and the garden adds to its beauty. We visited there for the “Next Vintage” fair which was a unique shopping experience as well as being very well-organized. I would definitely like to go back there for other events as well. It’s the perfect place to spend an afternoon.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Dan Lundberg

Historic Site of the week

Hagios Demetrios

The Church of Saint Demetrius, or Hagios Demetrios, is the main sanctuary dedicated to Saint Demetrius, the patron saint of Thessaloniki. It is part of the site Palaeochristian and Byzantine Monuments of Thessaloniki on the list of World Heritage Sites by UNESCO since 1988.

The first church on the spot was constructed in the early 4th century AD, replacing a Roman bath. A century later, a prefect named Leontios replaced the small oratory with a larger, three-aisled basilica. Repeatedly gutted by fires, the church eventually was reconstructed as a five-aisled basilica in 629–634. This was the surviving form of the church much as it is today. The most important shrine in the city, it was probably larger than the local cathedral. The historic location of the latter is now unknown.

The church had an unusual shrine called the ciborium, a hexagonal, roofed structure at one side of the nave. It was made of or covered with silver. The structure had doors and inside was a couch or bed. Unusually, it did not hold any physical relics of the saint. The ciborium seems to have been a symbolic tomb. It was rebuilt at least once.

The basilica is famous for six extant mosaic panels, dated to the period between the latest reconstruction and the inauguration of the Byzantine Iconoclasm in 730. These mosaics depict St. Demetrius with officials responsible for the restoration of the church (called the founders, ktetors) and with children. An inscription below one of the images glorifies heaven for saving the people of Thessalonica from a pagan Slavic raid in 615.

Thessaloniki became part of the Ottoman Empire in 1430. About 60 years later, during the reign of Bayezid II, the church was converted into a mosque, known as the Kasımiye Camii after the local Ottoman mayor, Cezeri Kasım Pasha. The symbolic tomb however was kept open for Christian veneration. Other magnificent mosaics, recorded as covering the church interior, were lost either during the four centuries when it functioned as a mosque (1493–1912) or in the Great Thessaloniki Fire of 1917 that destroyed much of the city. It also destroyed the roof and upper walls of the church. Black-and-white photographs and good watercolour versions give an idea of the early Byzantine craftsmanship lost during the fire.

Following the Great Fire of 1917, it took decades to restore the church. Tombstones from the city"s Jewish cemetery - destroyed by the Greek and Nazi German authorities - were used as building materials in these restoration efforts in the 1940s. Archeological excavations conducted in the 1930s and 1940s revealed interesting artifacts that may be seen in a museum situated inside the church"s crypt. The excavations also uncovered the ruins of a Roman bath, where St. Demetrius was said to have been held prisoner and executed. A Roman well was also discovered. Scholars believe this is where soldiers dropped the body of St. Demetrius after his execution. After restoration, the church was reconsecrated in 1949.

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