VisitaMilano

 Borromeo Castle
Standing over the banks of the Muzza, the Borromeo castle has a thousand-year history. Famous since the ninth century, when the stronghold welcomed Carloman, it was then contested by the Torriani and Visconti families. Falling into Venetian hands in 1446, it was recaptured by Francesco Sforza who, between 1451 and 1474, assigned its renovations to the architect Bartolomeo Gadio. The impressive curtain wall on the Adda, the turrets and embrasures on the terraces, the expansion of the castle defenses and the new front building that gives the castle its current physiognomy date back to that time. Used in 1705 as a military prison, at the end of that century it risked demolition to make room for a palace for prince Ferdinando, son of Maria Teresa: but only the shelter gate protecting the village was lost. In the 1800s the castle was used as a courthouse, prison, barracks and, the right wing, a factory. During the last century it was also used as a warehouse and disco. Renovations in recent years revealed frescoes from the Giotto school, probably commissioned by Ottone Visconti, marking residential functions.

 Borromeo Castle of Peschiera Borromeo
The castle, initially built as a farmstead in the wetlands, was transformed into a fortress in 1432 by Vitaliano Borromeo. The structure is made of four masonry buildings set around an internal courtyard. The double row of rectangular windows and the courtyard, that includes a chapel, are recreations that date back to the 1600's.

 Borromeo Castle of Truccazzano
The Corneliano Castle was built during High Medieval times as a fortified building that faced the Adda valley. It originally belonged to the Viscontis, but it was donated in 1300 to the Brolo Hospital of Milan, who kept the building until the year 1700 when it passed hands from Milan's Bigli family, to the Gallarti Scotti, and ultimately to the Borromeos. The building still enjoys its original façade that faces the centre of Corneliano, and has a spacious internal courtyard. The south side overlooks the countryside and Adda river.

 Caslte - Carthusian grange of Carpiano
In 1396, Galeazzo Visconti gave the Carpiano stronghold to the Certosini monks in order for them to build their monastery and the church of Torre del Mangano (later called Certosa di Pavia), where he wanted to be buried. The Certosini monks inhabited the Castle of Carpiano and cultivated the land. They turned the region into fertile lands thanks to the introduction of an irrigation system that took advantage of Lisone's water that runs over the land between the two Lambro regions. The Certosa artificial canal, built in 1509 by the Certosin monks of Pavia in order to irrigate their fields and a square farmstead (built over the viscontean castle), was the adaptation made to a fortified grange that is located near the 15th century church of S. Martino. The donated structure still stands today.

 Cassino Scanasio Castle
Maggiore presenza storico-artisitca nel territorio di Rozzano, il Castello Visconteo è di fabbrica tre-quattrocentesca.

 Castello di Brivio
Going upstream, you come to the Castle in Piazza Carlo Frigerio, well-known since 968 and owned in turn by the Earls of Lecco, Bishops of Bergamo, the Visconti family from Milan and in the 15th century, by the Most Serene Republic of Venice. At the time of the Industrial Revolution, Cesare Cantù had one wing of it converted into a spinning mill. The apartments facing the Adda were, between 1835 and 1856, municipal prisons.

 Castello Mediceo
Of unknown origins (maybe dating from the 10th century), the castle owes its importance to its strategic geographic location, along the main artery of the Via Emilia. Taken by Frederick I Barbarossa and sacked by Frederick II of Swabia, it was the site of battles between Visconti and Torriani. It was rebuilt for the first time at the end of the 13th century and again around 1350, when it became the favourite residence of Bernabò Visconti. The building displays the typical characteristics of a plains castle, built of exposed bricks (which were later plastered); it has a parallelepiped structure with strong triangular towers. It was restored and decorated in the 16th century by Gian Giacomo Medici, called the Menenghino (the ground floor rooms still contain a fresco cycle celebrating the lord's deeds). It still preserves signs of Renaissance refinement, including 16th-century frescoed rooms.

 Castle
In front of the church of San Colombano Abate you find a 15th century tower, destroyed by then and later rebuilt by Frederick Barbarossa, which protected the entrance to the Castle. The Castle was passed from hand to hand between Landriani, Torriani, Visconti and the Charterhouse of Pavia, and finally given to the Belgiojoso family. The fortress remained family property, with changing fortunes, until the first part of the 1900s. Also remaining is the western tower, certainly from the 1400s, which was a part of the defence wall. More than anything else, it is suggestive of the village which once existed inside those walls.

 Castle of Rosate
Today, all that is left of Castello di Rosate, which belonged to the Avogrado family, are the ruins in the public park.

 Colleoni Castle
In the historical centre of Solza, Colleoni Castle stands on a slight slope overlooking the river. Documents prove its existence from at least 1404, during the final stages of the battles between the Guelfs and the Ghibellines. A four-sided stronghold, defended by a moat which was later filled in, it stands out from the rest of the burgh thanks also to its tower and the boundary wall which still boasts a disguised crenellation. Over time, the castle has lost its defensive role to become a place of work and a peasant dwelling. A sloping ramp leads to the entrance where the slits for the drawbridge chains are still visible. The courtyard is enclosed by a large hayloft.

 St. George castle
The S. Giorgio castle was built in the thirteenth century where an Augustinian convent existed. Expanded by the Torriani, it was owned by the Visconti until 1437 when it became the property of the Lampugnani, local nobles, continuously losing its strategic worth. Decaying into a farm and rural home, in 1973 it was purchased by the town which renovated it, returning it to the public in 2005.

 The Sforza Castle
Built in 1450-66 by Francesco Sforza, as both fortress in the place where the Visconti stronghold once stood (1358-68). The Castle presents itself in its restored state, as restored and saved from demolition by Beltrami. The imposing Filarete tower, which was demolished by lightening and rebuilt at the turn of the 19th Century is his work. The remains of ancient constructions can be seen in the famous Piazza d'Armi. Other two towers characterise the structure: the Bona di Savoia Tower and the Rocchetta Tower, which now home to the 'sala del tesoro' (treasure hall), where the "Argo" painting by Bramante is displayed. Today, the Sforzesco Castle, hosts the Civic Collections of Ancient Art (sculpture, with Michelangelo's "Rondanini Pietà ", a picture gallery and art room), of applied Art and engravings with ceramics, ivories, bronzes, tapestries, musical instruments and "Bertrelli" prints), of Archaeological (Egyptian and pre-historic sections) and numismatic art and to the Trivulziana Library.

 The Tolcinasco Fortress
Tolcinasco Castle dates back to the 16th century and is the only example in Lombardy of an agricultural castle from that period. Located in the area between Mirasole and Pieve, it was built by the D’Adda family.

 Trezzo sull'Adda Visconteo Castle
Conceived as a military defense system, the Castle is proof of the historical events that tied Trezzo to the Milan dominated by the Visconti and Sforza families. Strategically located on a promontory that looks over the Bergamo lands, it has been an important stronghold since the Longobard era. The first fortification seems to date back to the twelfth century and, according to tradition, was said to have been built by Queen Teodolinda as a defense against the Orobi raids. The castle, whose first fortification was destroyed by Emperor Federico Barbarossa, experienced a period of splendor around the mid 1300's with the construction of new towers, a series of underground tunnels and a bridge fortified on several levels, later destroyed in 1416. The construction was commissioned by Bernabò Visconti who met his maker in the same tunnels he commissioned. Over the centuries the building progressively lost all its strategic functions until it was abandoned. In the early 1800's, its facing was removed and resold. Today, after a series of renovations, the ruins, tunnels, donjon and fifteenth century well are still standing. Additionally, the Bernabò and a villa that provides educational exhibits can be visited.

 Visconteo Castle
The Visconteo Castle whose history goes back almost one thousand years is first mentioned in a 1304 document. After being used for various purposes over the years, it was transformed into a private residence in the 1600s and become public in 1865 when it became a school. Today it houses the Municipal Library "Romeo Brambilla" and the Foundation for the Promotion of Abbiatense. In the courtyard and in the library frescoes which are considered important for architectural and geometric reasons can still be seen, an echo of the viscontese taste which is frequent in the Milanese area.