The Castelli di Cannero are three rocky islets of

Lake Maggiore Lake Maggiore (, ; it, Lago Maggiore ; lmo, label=Western Lombard, Lagh Maggior; pms, Lagh Magior; literally 'Greater Lake') or Verbano (; la, Lacus Verbanus) is a large lake located on the south side of the Alps. It is the second largest la ...

in northern

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

. They are located off the shoreline of Cannero Riviera while administratively forming part of the

Comune The (; plural: ) is a local administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions ('' regioni'') and provinces (''province''). The can also ...

Cannobio Cannobio is a town and ''comune'' on the river Cannobino and the shore of Lago Maggiore in Piedmont, Italy. History The local inhabitants probably became subject to Ancient Rome, Roman rule by the time of the emperor Augustus Caesar, Augustus. ...

. They are known as ''castelli'', or castles, in recognition of the ruined ancient fortifications which are found on two of them. They are all that remains of the Rocca Vitaliana fortress built between 1519 and 1521 by Ludovico Borromeo, who gave it this name in honour of an illustrious ancestor. The fortress was built over the ruins of an earlier castle, the Castello della Malpaga, which had been used since the 15th century as a refuge by the powerful, cruel Mazzarditi family. The five Mazzarditi brothers took control of the burgh of

between 1403 and 1404, terrorizing the inhabitants of the district with their acts of violence and piracy. This went on until the Viscontis laid siege to the fortress, starving the bandits into surrender. The old castle was razed to the ground, so that no trace of it remains. The Rocca Vitaliana was then built to defend the upper part of

from incursions by the Swiss after the

Duchy of Milan The Duchy of Milan ( it, Ducato di Milano; lmo, Ducaa de Milan) was a state in northern Italy, created in 1395 by Gian Galeazzo Visconti, then the lord of Milan, and a member of the important Visconti family, which had been ruling the city sin ...

lost control of the

Canton of Ticino Ticino (), sometimes Tessin (), officially the Republic and Canton of Ticino or less formally the Canton of Ticino,, informally ''Canton Ticino'' ; lmo, Canton Tesin ; german: Kanton Tessin ; french: Canton du Tessin ; rm, Chantun dal Tessin . ...

. The main part of the castle, on the eastern islet, still has its massive walls built right on the water, following the irregular contours of the rock, and some towers of different shapes which still have part of their battlements. All that remains of the castle on the western islet is a ruined tower and some crumbling parts of the wall. The ruins cannot be visited as they are unsafe, but the view of them from the shore or from a boat continues to be compelling. The islands’ rocky shores are a magnet for adventurous bathers.

References

External links

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Storia dei castelli di Cannero

Castello di Cannero
{{Coord, 46.0239, N, 8.70528, E, source:kolossus-dewiki, display=title Islands of Piedmont Islands of Lake Maggiore in Italy