The Visconti-Castelbarco Castle is a
castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...
of
mediaeval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
origin located in
Cislago
Cislago ( lmo, label=Western Lombard, Cislagh ) is a (municipality) in the Province of Varese in the Italian region of Lombardy, located about northwest of Milan and about southeast of Varese. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 9,1 ...
,
Lombardy
Lombardy ( it, Lombardia, Lombard language, Lombard: ''Lombardia'' or ''Lumbardia' '') is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in the northern-central part of the country and has a population of about 10 ...
,
Northern Italy
Northern Italy ( it, Italia settentrionale, it, Nord Italia, label=none, it, Alta Italia, label=none or just it, Nord, label=none) is a geographical and cultural region in the northern part of Italy. It consists of eight administrative regions ...
. Since the 13th century it belonged to a cadet branch of the
Visconti House. In the 18th century it became a property of the Castelbarco family.
History
On the site of the current 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
Matteo is the Italian form of the given name Matthew. Another form is Mattia. The Hebrew meaning of Matteo is "gift of god". Matteo can also be used as a patronymic surname, often in the forms of de Matteo, De Matteo or DeMatteo, meaning " escen ...
Lord of Milan
The following is a list of rulers of Milan from the 13th century to 1814, after which it was incorporated into the Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia by the Congress of Vienna.
Before elevation to duchy
Until 1259, Milan was a free commune that elect ...
, 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
The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
villa on the original U-shaped plan and with two towers at the corners of the main facade. A
crenellated
A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet (i.e., a defensive low wall between chest-height and head-height), in which gaps or indentations, which are often rectangular, occur at interva ...
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.
Today
The castle today is a private estate. A municipal park, Giardino Castelbarco, facing the front of the castle, is open to the public.
References
External links
Visconti - Cislago (VA)''di Cislago - Il castello Visconti-Castelbarco''Land of Tourism - The Visconti castle''Castelli & Torri d'Italia - Castello Visconteo Di Cislago''
{{Visconti of Milan
Castles in Lombardy