The Visconti Castle of Pagazzano (''Castello Visconteo di Pagazzano'') is a moated, late-medieval castle located in
Pagazzano
Pagazzano (Bergamasque: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Bergamo in the Italian region of Lombardy, located about east of Milan and about south of Bergamo. As of 31 December 2018, it had a population of 2,097 and an area of ...
, a town in the
Province of Bergamo
The Province of Bergamo ( it, provincia di Bergamo; lmo, proìnsa de Bèrghem) is a province in the Lombardy region of Italy. It has a population of 1,112,187 (2017), an area of , and contains 243 ''comuni''. Its capital is the city of Bergamo.
...
in the Italian
region of Lombardy
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. The castle in the current form was probably erected between 1450 and 1475, at the initiative of the Visconti di Brignano transforming the previous 14th-century quadrangular fortification with a surrounding moat.
History
A document from 1186 already mentions the existence of a fortress on the site. In the 14th century, the castle came to
Bernabò Visconti
Bernabò or Barnabò Visconti (1323 – 19 December 1385) was an Italian soldier and statesman who was Lord of Milan. Along with his brothers Matteo and Galeazzo II, he inherited the lordship of Milan from his uncle Giovanni. Later in 1355, he an ...
,
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 ...
, and then to
Gian Galeazzo Visconti
Gian Galeazzo Visconti (16 October 1351 – 3 September 1402), was the first duke of Milan (1395) and ruled the late-medieval city just before the dawn of the Renaissance. He also ruled Lombardy jointly with his uncle Bernabò. He was the foundi ...
, who donated it to his wife,
Caterina Visconti
Caterina Visconti (1361 – 17 October 1404) was Duchess of Milan as the second spouse of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, the first Duchy of Milan, Duke of Milan, and was the mother of two succeeding Dukes of Milan, Gian Maria Visconti, Gian Maria and ...
. In 1357 and 1358,
Petrarch
Francesco Petrarca (; 20 July 1304 – 18/19 July 1374), commonly anglicized as Petrarch (), was a scholar and poet of early Renaissance Italy, and one of the earliest humanists.
Petrarch's rediscovery of Cicero's letters is often credited w ...
resided for some time in the castle. In 1364, he interceded with Bernabò to preserve and improve the building.
In 1442
donated the castle to the noble De-Isacchi family from
Treviso
Treviso ( , ; vec, Trevixo) is a city and ''comune'' in the Veneto region of northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Treviso and the municipality has 84,669 inhabitants (as of September 2017). Some 3,000 live within the Veneti ...
. Shortly after, it passed to the Visconti di Brignano, who gave it the present form.
The castle then had several owners: the Visconti-Aimi di Brignano, who resided in the nearby Palazzo Visconti di Brignano Gera d’Adda, the Marquises Bigli, and finally, the Marquises Crivelli.
The Pagazzano territory was disputed over the centuries by surrounding ruling forces, and various Visconti descendants. In the 19th century, the castle was owned by the Crivelli family.
In 2000, the castle was sold to the Comune di Pagazzano.
References
Sources
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External links
Castello Visconteo di PagazzanoBeni Culturali'' – Castello Visconti di Brignano - Pagazzano (BG)
{{Authority control
Visconteo Pagazzano
Buildings and structures in the Province of Bergamo