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Search for the town, the city, the area where you want to go and consult the contents of VisitItaly
Search for the town, the city, the area where you want to go and consult the contents of VisitItaly
VISITITALY WHAT TO SEE CASTLES, PALACES AND MANSIONS LOMBARDY

Lombardy castles, palaces and mansions

The Lombardy region is rich in castles, towers, and historic houses, a strong testimony of medieval architecture. A dense network of manors spreads over the whole territory, in the plains, on the gentle hill slopes and perched on rocky mountains, surrounded by vineyards, beech and chestnut woods. Built in strategic positions, they dominate the surrounding valleys, often with mighty crenellated walls and lively interior decorations made on frescoed walls to recall the opulence of the local noble families. Many can be visited, still others used as private homes, and still others only ruins bearing witness to a glorious past. Discover with Visititaly, the fortresses, the villas, the forts, the historic buildings, the noble residences and all the places linked to culture that characterize the Lombardy region. If you have visited a castle and would like to share your experience with others, please report it here!

Sabbioneta - Castles, palaces and mansions

Palazzo Ducale

The Palazzo Ducale, also known as Palazzo Grande, in Sabbioneta in the province of Mantua has an elegant facade and an ashlar portico placed on a raised level. The historic two-storey building overlooks Piazza Ducale. Historical chronicles note that in November 1559 a violent fire destroyed the original structure, it was rebuilt between 1560 and 1561. It represents the oldest of the buildings built by Vespasiano Gonzaga (1531-1591) (son of Rodomonte and Isabella Colonna.

Lonato - Castles, palaces and mansions

Rocca di Lonato

The Rocca di Lonato dates back to the tenth century, when it was built on top of the relief of the morainic amphitheater in the center of Lonato del Garda. Its function was to defend and protect the surrounding city. Under the management of the Visconti, the walls were extended to the inhabited village. After passing ownership to the Gonzaga and the Republic of Venice, since 1920 the structure has been managed by Ugo Da Como and its Foundation.

Desenzano del Garda - Castles, palaces and mansions

Castello di Desenzano del Garda

The Castle of Desenzana del Garda was built in the Middle Ages and reflects the characteristics of the city itself. It is thought that the structure was built on the foundations of a Roman castle. The enlargements carried out over the years were intended to host military and shelter formations for the local population. There are only a few walls left of the old castle. The property boasts a beautiful view of Lake Garda.

Mantova - Castles, palaces and mansions

Castello di San Giorgio

The Castle of San Giorgio built between 1395 and 1406 by Francesco I of Gonzaga, has a square shape, 4 towers and surrounded by a moat and three doors equipped with drawbridge. Paolo Vitelli and Andreas Hofer were imprisoned inside his prisons in 1496 and in 1810. On the ground floor is the sun room; following the spiral staircase you reach the room of arms and at the same time there is the room of frescoes. Next we have the hall of acronyms, frieze, zodiac, bride and groom and the Hall of Hoods.

Varese - Castles, palaces and mansions

Villa Panza

Villa Panza is known for its contemporary art collection. Surrounded by a magnificent Italian garden, it was built in the middle of the 18th century by the will of the Marquis Paolo Antonio Menafoglio. In the salons and large stables, more than one hundred works by contemporary artists are exhibited today, as well as rich furnishings from the period ranging from the 16th to the 19th century and to an important collection of African art and pre-Columbian.

Sant'Angelo Lodigiano - Castles, palaces and mansions

Castello Bolognini

l Castle of S. Angelo Lodigiano, a fortress with an irregular quadrangular base, a typical example of Lombard military architecture, was built by the Milanese. According to the Milanese chronicler Galvano Fiamma, its construction was completed on 8 October 1224. The Lords of Milan became owners of the castle: first the Della Torre and then the Visconti. Around 1370 Bernabò Visconti donated the fortress and the lands of S. Angelo to his wife Regina della Scala, daughter of Mastino II, lord of Verona who in 1383 erected the main tower of the south-east corner and had numerous Gothic windows open in the Castle , with an expense, it seems, of 100,000 gold florins. The Castle was then conquered with arms by Francesco Sforza on April 14, 1452 to recover the lands that belonged to the Visconti and on April 24 of the same year, so only 10 days later, Sforza donated the Castle and the lands of S. Angelo to a captain of fortune Michele Matteo known as Bolognino, for favors received, and for the occasion conferred on him the title of Count with a new name Michele Matteo Attandolo (name Sforzesco) Bolognini. Following the various historical, political and military events, the mano

Piuro - Castles, palaces and mansions

Palazzo Vertemate Franchi

Palazzo Vertemate Franchi is located in Prosto di Piuro just two kilometers from Chiavenna, in Val Bregaglia. Erected in the second half of the 16th century by the brothers Guglielmo and Luigi Vertemate Franchi, exponents of one of the richest families who had flourishing commercial activities in Piuro, it is the only building of the properties that was saved from the landslide of 1618 which submerged the town with many of its inhabitants. The palace is a beautiful Renaissance masterpiece immersed in an enchanting environment that allows you to read the reality of a noble family of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The facade is sober and essential, surrounded by airy and functional spaces, such as the Italian garden with the fishpond and the double exedra balustrade.

Brescia - Castles, palaces and mansions

Castello di Brescia o Rocca del Cidneo

The Castle of Brescia dominates the Cidneo hill, from which it also takes the double denomination. The Cidneo is a block of classical rock. The castle is surrounded by numerous trees and defensive walls. The heart of the castle is the Keep built by the Visconti of Milan in the first half of the '300. The building has a rectangular base with crenellated walls. Today the castle, is one of the most beautiful and visited monuments in the city, is home to the civic Museum of Weapons “Luigi Marzoli”.

Urgnano - Castles, palaces and mansions

Castello di Urgnano

The castle of Urgnano was built by Archbishop Giovanni, in 1354, after his brother Luchino Visconti died. Over the centuries he had several owners, finally passing, once and for all, to the municipality. The building has a quadrilateral shape with four towers at the end. To make it difficult to attack enemies, he is surrounded by the moat. It has two entrances, one to the north and the other on the other side, and is built entirely of terracotta. Inside it is divided in half, to the west there is the courtyard, to the east the roof garden.

Cremona - Castles, palaces and mansions

Palazzo Comunale

The Town Hall dates back to 1206 and is of medieval origin. The building has maintained a particular architecture even if it has been restored over the years, being enlarged among other things. Today, it is possible to visit it to admire the nine famous musical instruments that denote the luthier tradition of the city. The Cittanova palace in Cremona was built in 1265. It is currently used for exhibitions and conferences. Palazzo Cittanova has two rooms: on the first floor a hall with 300 seats, which is used for shows and conferences. On the ground floor a room with 40 seats which is used for the events that take place in the hall.

Brescia - Castles, palaces and mansions

Loggia

The Palazzo della Loggia, or more simply the Loggia, is a Renaissance palace located in the homonymous square, now the seat of the municipal council of Brescia. The white marble facade vertically consists of two distinct architectural sections. In the lower section, there are a series of columns and pillars. At the top is the lead hull, shaped like a hull, replacing the original ceiling, a small lead dome and a wooden ceiling, which contained three paintings by the Titian, burned in a fire from 1575.

Pavia - Castles, palaces and mansions

Università

Founded in 1361, it had its headquarters from around 1485 in an old palace of Azzone Visconti. The current building - built over the centuries around the first nucleus, also occupying the fifteenth-century Hospital of San Matteo. The University Palace of Pavia contains an exceptional heritage of cultural heritage collected and preserved throughout its long history. In the Palace we find important collections of historical and scientific interest, unique in their kind. In the archives, it is possible to reconstruct the history of Italian technical and scientific thought and beyond.

Mantova - Castles, palaces and mansions

Palazzo d'arco

The Arch Palace is a house built around 1784 by Antonio Colonna on commission of the Arch Counts. In 1740 part of the family settled in Mantua inheriting this palace from the Counts Chieppio. In 1872 Antonio d'Arco enlarged the house by purchasing the land that goes beyond the current garden and parts of Renaissance construction. Today, the Arch Palace is a museum containing all the furnishings typical of the Renaissance period and it is possible to visit it.

Milan - Castles, palaces and mansions

Palazzo Litta

The work of the well-known architect Bartolomeo Bolli, Palazzo Litta is certainly the jewel of Milan, and is often referred to as the most important symbol of the Baroque style. It has a central structure, three floors high with a portal covered by the convex balcony. All the windows are decorated with folders, garlands in the gables and shells, instead those on the first floor also have small balconies. Do not miss the main floor that contributed to the fame of the building.

Milan - Castles, palaces and mansions

Casa degli Omenoni

The structure was built in the mid-1500s and was the residence of the sculptor, Leone Leoni. It consists of two orders and an attic which is punctuated vertically into seven compartments. On the ground floor you can see eight colossal caryatids in stone, which depict the defeated barbarians. On the main floor, we find the recessed columns of Ionian order that alternate with niches and windows to which in the 19th century the balconies were added to it. The courtyard is rectangular with three porch wings.

Milan - Castles, palaces and mansions

Villa Simonetta

Villa Simonetta dates back to the beginning of the 16th century and is a typical Renaissance patrician villa; it was built on commission of the nobleman Gualtiero Bascapè. Originally it was rectangular, but at the end of the 16th century it was enlarged with two side wings. The main facade is formed from a portico with nine arches with Tuscan columns on rectangular bases. The prestigious villa was decorated both inside and outside by cycles of frescoes, but unfortunately only a few traces remained visible.

Milan - Castles, palaces and mansions

Palazzo Trivulzio

The Palazzo Trivulzio was built in the early 18th century, on commission of the homonymous family and is a work by the architect G. Ruggeri. The facade is modest with decorations where the balcony stands out with the family coat of arms. Inside, however, you can notice the luxury of decorations with rich particularities such as porches, decorated ceilings and lavish furnishings. The palace became famous in the past for the parties held inside it.

Milan - Castles, palaces and mansions

Palazzo della Ragione

The origin of the palace dates back to the 13th century and until the middle of the 17th century it served as the seat of the Municipality. The building is certainly a medieval testimony from a historical and architectural point of view, with a typical rectangular structure and with two extensive aisles of arcades that form a real covered square, which was used for the traditional fair, at the time of the Visconti. The second floor consists of a large room with an area of one thousand square meters. Today the palace hosts art and photography exhibitions.

Milan - Castles, palaces and mansions

Palazzo del Senato

The origin of the palace dates back to the early 17th century and was built at the behest of the Cardinal of Milan, F. Borromeo. The building was designed to become the seat of the Swiss college, and stands on the ruins of a monastery. The style used in the construction is the Baroque one and of particular interest is the facade decorated with windows with triangular gables. Inside the building there are two large courtyards consisting of a double order of loggias. Over the centuries the function of the palace has changed several times to finally become, in 1872, the State Archives.

Milan - Castles, palaces and mansions

Palazzo dei Giureconsulti

The Palazzo dei Giureconsulti was built at the behest of the noble Giovanni Angelo Medici, in the mid-16th century, and is a work by the architect V. Seregni. The building is one of the most important buildings in Piazza dei Mercanti and was initially designed to host the college of “Noble Doctors”, an institution to train important figures of the state such as senators and judges. Over the centuries the building was destroyed and rebuilt several times. Since 1911 it has been owned by the Chamber of Commerce and hosts conferences, conferences and exhibitions.

Milan - Castles, palaces and mansions

Palazzo Arcivescovile

The Archbishop's Palace is located in Piazza Fontana and is the work of several architects. Over the centuries the palace has been rebuilt many times, and today only a part that preserves medieval architecture and a hamlet with decorations have remained intact. During the renovation in the late 19th century, fourteenth-century frescoes were found, which decorated the living room. Part of these frescoes and others recovered in other spaces of the building are exhibited today in the Archbishopric.

Tirano - Castles, palaces and mansions

Castello San Maria Diroccato

The castle of Santa Maria Diroccato is known as Castellaccio. So called by the homonymous church and hospital of which traces are found already in the twelfth century. While it is thought that the origins of the structure date back to the fifteenth century, since the time of Ludovico il Moro, who had greatly appreciated the excellent geographical position of the structure. The ruins of the castle and the tower have survived to the present day.

Milan - Castles, palaces and mansions

Villa Litta Modignani

The Litta Modignani villa consists of a central building with three floors from which short side bodies extend that form a small courtyard for carriages. The construction dates back to the early 18th century and was the home of the homonymous family. In the facades you can see decorations such as bands and frames and some balconies with iron railings. Although in poor condition due to inuse, the villa inside it maintains many decorations in the doors, scrolls and frescoed vaults.

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