The Visconti Castle, or Castello Visconteo, is a castle in the town of

Cusago Cusago ( lmo, Cusagh ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Milan in the Italian region Lombardy Lombardy ( it, Lombardia, Lombard language, Lombard: ''Lombardia'' or ''Lumbardia' '') is an administrative regions of Italy, r ...

near

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

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 ...

. It was built in the 14th century by Bernabò Visconti and used as a hunting lodge by him and other

Visconti family Visconti is a surname which may refer to: Italian noble families * Visconti of Milan, ruled Milan from 1277 to 1447 ** Visconti di Modrone, collateral branch of the Visconti of Milan * Visconti of Pisa and Sardinia, ruled Gallura in Sardinia from ...

members. The castle underwent significant changes in the Renaissance period; today, it is in neglected conditions.

History

Bernabò Visconti was lord of Milan between 1354 and 1385. He ordered the construction of the castle of Cusago in 1370. It had a quadrilateral layout, and a single tower over the entrance, features conserved until today. It was created as a country residence and connected to a hunting park. The most extended side measured 96 meters. The court of Bernabò Visconti frequently attended the castle. After the dethronement of Bernabò, the building passed to his nephew

Gian Galeazzo Gian Galeazzo Sforza (20 June 1469 – 21 October 1494), also known as Giovan Galeazzo Sforza, was the sixth Duke of Milan. Early life Born in Abbiategrasso, he was only seven years old when in 1476 his father, Galeazzo Maria Sforza, was assa ...

, the first duke of Milan. Between 1425 and 1440, Duke

Filippo Maria Visconti Filippo Maria Visconti (3 September 1392 – 13 August 1447)

took great care of the castle and the surrounding park. His mistress

Agnese del Maino Agnese del Maino (c. 1411 – 13 December 1465) was a Milanese noblewoman and the mistress of Filippo Maria Visconti, the last legitimate duke of Milan of the Visconti dynasty. Agnese was the mother of Duchess Bianca Maria Visconti. Family Agn ...

occasionally lived there. In 1438 a little canal (the ''naviglietto'') was excavated to connect the castle to the nearby

Naviglio Grande The Naviglio Grande is a canal in Lombardy, northern Italy, connecting the Ticino river near Tornavento ( south of Sesto Calende) to the Porta Ticinese dock, also known as the ''Darsena'', in Milan. It drops over . It varies in width from from ...

. After the period of the Ambrosian Republic (1447-1450), the castle was abandoned, and part of its land was sold. In 1496, Ludovico il Moro expanded it, restoring its function of a country villa for hunting and parties. A portico with eight arches was added to the side of the courtyard near the entrance. A loggia was inserted externally in the north-eastern corner. The tower assumed the shape with the overlapping volumes, typical of the Sforza architecture, as it appears at the

Castello Sforzesco The Castello Sforzesco (Italian for "Sforza's Castle") is a medieval fortification located in Milan, northern Italy. It was built in the 15th century by Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan, on the remnants of a 14th-century fortification. Later reno ...

in Milan. In 1496, Ludovico il Moro hosted in the castle the emperor

Maximilian I Maximilian I may refer to: *Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, reigned 1486/93–1519 *Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria, reigned 1597–1651 *Maximilian I, Prince of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (1636-1689) *Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria, reigned 1795� ...

. Later, and until the 20th century, it was used as an agriculture warehouse and home for farmers. The external loggia was closed by a wall.

Today

Ceased its agricultural use, the castle was abandoned. Today it is in a poor state of repair, awaiting restoration. The castle stands as a backdrop to the Cusago central square. The church of Saints Firmus and Rusticus faces on the opposite side. CastelloCusagoLoggiato

References

Sources

* *

External links

di Cusago'' – Il Castello di Cusago
* ttp://www.lombardiabeniculturali.it/architetture/schede/MI100-02888/''Lombardia Beni Culturali'' – Castello Visconteo - Cusago (MI) {{Visconti of Milan Castles in Lombardy