The Rocca Borromeo di Angera, or Rocca d'Angera, also called Borromeo 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 ...

on a lakeside hilltop in the limits of the town of

Angera Angera (, ; la, Angleria) is a town and ''comune'' located in the province of Varese, in the Lombardy region of northern Italy. In Roman times, it was an important lake port and road station. Formerly known as Anghiera, Angera received the title ...

in the

Province of Varese The province of Varese ( it, provincia di Varese) is a Provinces of Italy, province in the region of Lombardy in northern Italy. Its capital is the city of Varese (population of 80,857 inhabitants), but its largest city is Busto Arsizio. The head ...

on the Southern shores of

Lago 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 ...

. It is visible from across the lake from Arona, where originally stood another castle formerly owned by the Borromeo family.

History

Situated on a lime rockspur on the Lombard shore of Lago Maggiore, the fortress faces that of

Arona, Piedmont Arona (; pms, Aron-a ; lmo, label=Western Lombard, Aruna ) is a town and ''comune'' on Lake Maggiore, in the province of Novara (northern Italy). Its main economic activity is tourism, especially from Milan, France and Germany. History Archaeol ...

. It controlled almost the entire body of water, a large portion of the territory of

Varese Varese ( , , or ; lmo, label= Varesino, Varés ; la, Baretium; archaic german: Väris) is a city and ''comune'' in north-western Lombardy, northern Italy, north-west of Milan. The population of Varese in 2018 has reached 80,559. It is the c ...

, at a strategic junction with the river

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

Visconti of Milan The Visconti of Milan are a noble Italian family. They rose to power in Milan during the Middle Ages where they ruled from 1277 to 1447, initially as Lords then as Dukes, and several collateral branches still exist. The effective founder of the ...

started construction of the castle in the 1100s and its current form was built between the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. The

Della Torre The House of Della Torre (Torriani or Thurn) were an Italian noble family who rose to prominence in Lombardy during the 12th–14th centuries, until they held the lordship of Milan before being ousted by the Visconti. History The family originall ...

family had besieged the castle over and over again, destroying it considerably. After the

Battle of Desio The Battle of Desio was fought on 21 January 1277 between the Della Torre and Visconti families for the control of Milan and its countryside. The battlefield is located near the modern Desio, a commune outside the city in Lombardy, Northern It ...

in 1277, the Torriani lost it to the Visconti, beginning with

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 ...

and his wife,

Beatrice della Scala Beatrice ''Regina'' della Scala (1331 – 18 June 1384) was Lady of Milan by marriage to Bernabò Visconti, Lord of Milan, and politically active as the adviser of her spouse.Tuchman, p.333 Life Beatrice Regina was born in Verona in 1331,Charle ...

. In 1449, the castle was purchased by the

Borromeo family ), type=Noble family, country=, estates= Rocca d'Angera Palazzo Borromeo, Milan Castel of Peschiera BorromeoBorromean Islands Villa Borromeo, Arcore, titles=* Prince of Angera * Marquess of Romagnano * Count of Arona * Count of Peschiera * Lord ...

who expanded and refurbished the castle over the centuries up until the present day. The castle suffered damage during a bombardment in the second world war.

Museum premises

Passing the gates one enters the inner courtyard (Corte Nobile), which is paved with pebble stones. One of the largest preserved wine presses is on display there. The castle is best known for its ''Hall of Justice'' (Sala di Giustizia) which contains original late 13th century frescoes, signed by the anonymous "Master of Angera", depicting the victory of

Ottone Visconti Ottone Visconti (1207 8 August 1295) was Archbishop of Milan and Lord of Milan, the first of the Visconti line. Under his rule, the commune of Milan became a strong Ghibelline city and one of the Holy Roman Empire's seats in Italy. Biography Ea ...

, archbishop of Milan, at the Battle of Desio. Two rooms contain frescoes by late Gothic painters of the Lombard School, refurbished between 2013 and 2015, the ''Sala dei Ceremonie'' and the ''Sala dei Fasti Borromeo'' (Splendour Hall). The latter contains two large 17th-century paintings glorifying the Borromeo family. The castle tower offers a 360-degree view of the Southern lake region. The castle also contains a Museo della Bambola (doll museum), founded in 1988 by Princess Bona Borromeo Arese, displaying over a thousand dolls from all over the world made between the 18th century and the present day.Commune of Angera
ourism entry on the castle. According to the owners, a medieval garden was started on the lakeside of the castle in 2008, organized into various zones with edible, medicinal plants and aromatic herbs growing in raised beds, as well as a vineyard.

Gallery

File:Roca Borromeu 2011-03-29 17-22-39.jpg File:Roca Borromeu 2011-03-29 12-58-32.jpg File:Roca Borromeu 2011-03-29 17-49-18.jpg File:Roca Borromeu 2011-03-29 17-51-53.jpg File:Roca Borromeu 2011-03-29 17-20-19.jpg File:Roca Borromeu 2011-03-29 17-20-44.jpg File:Roca Borromeu 2011-03-29 13-05-04.jpg File:Roca Borromeu 2011-03-29 13-11-33.jpg File:Rocca Borromeu 2011-03-31.jpg

References

External links

*
Rocca Borromeo - complesso
Copyright Regione Lombardia {{DEFAULTSORT:Borromeo di Angera Buildings and structures completed in the 13th century Castles in Lombardy