Visconti Castle (Massino)

Visconti Castle (Massino)
Visconti Castle (Massino)
Massino Visconti
	The castle with the main tower seen from the west
	Visconti Castle (Massino)
Coordinates	45°49′13″N8°32′18″E / 45.82028°N 8.53833°E
Type	Medieval castle
Site history
Built	12th century
Built by	Guido Visconti

Last updated November 13, 2023

The Visconti Castle of Massino is a medieval castle located on the Vergante hills in the municipality of Massino Visconti, Province of Novara, Piedmont, northern Italy. Since the 12th century it has been a possession and one of the preferred residences of the Visconti of Milan. At that time it was frequented by the family ancestor of the lords and dukes of Milan. Afterwards its property was transferred to other collateral branches of the lineage, from the initial Visconti di Massino to the current Visconti di San Vito.^[1]

Location

The Vergante is a semi-mountainous region few kilometres west of the Lake Maggiore. From Massino, 465 m (1,526 ft) above sea level, the view is open over to the lake and to the region beyond it, comprising the Lake of Varese and the smaller Lake of Monate. The territory seen from Massino has always been part of the archdioceses of Milan and includes other sites with Middle Age fortifications: Angera, Arona, Besozzo, Orino and Velate near Varese.^[3] Although excluded from it, the site of the castle appears to be a point from where part of the Milanese territory can be controlled.^[4]

History

A first mention of a fortification goes back to the 9th century, when Massino became prerogative of Engelberga, wife of the Emperor Louis II of Italy. The settlement was then donated to the monastery of San Sisto in Piacenza, then transferred to the Abbey of Saint Gall. In 1134 Guido Visconti son of Ottone was invested by the Sangalese monks of their properties and rights in Massino. Eight years later the investiture was confirmed by King Conrad III. Since then it has always been a possession of Visconti families.

In 1823 the property of the castle was transferred from the Visconti di Massino (a Visconti cadet branch originated from Ottone, the eldest son of Guido) to the Visconti d'Aragona. In 1863 it was acquired from the Visconti of Aragona by Pietro Pallestrini, from Villa Biscossi, scholar, author of an industrial review of the Verbano and mayor of Massino, who lived in, restored it^[5]^[6] and then transmitted it to the Visconti di San Vito another Visconti collateral lineage. Part of the furniture and the archive of the Visconti d'Aragona were moved to the Visconti Castle of Somma Lombardo, another estate house of the Visconti di San Vito.^[7]

Today

At the beginning of the 20th century the importance of the Visconti Castle in the local history has led the municipality of Massino to rename itself Massino Visconti. The town can be reached by the Genova Voltri-Gravellona Toce highway, Meina exit. After the first houses the castle appears in its imposing dimensions near the church of Santa Maria. Three towers remain of the castle: two of them on both sides of the southern gate, perhaps the original entrance, surmounted by the usual Biscione. At the center of the castle stands the main tower. The courtyard of the castle ends with a terrace towards the village and the Lake Maggiore. On this side stands out a loggia open for public announcements to the village.^[8]

Related Research Articles

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 Visconti Lordship of Milan was the Archbishop Ottone, who wrested control of the city from the rival Della Torre family in 1277.

Visconti Castle may refer to a number of castles including:

The Rocca Borromeo di Angera, or Rocca d'Angera, also called Borromeo Castle, is a rocca on a hilltop above the town of Angera in the Province of Varese on the southern shores of Lago Maggiore. It has medieval origins and initially belonged to the Milanese archbishop. It passed then to the Visconti of Milan and later to the Borromeos, who are still the owners.

The Visconti Castle of Somma Lombardo is a medieval castle-palace in Somma Lombardo, Province of Varese, Lombardy, northern Italy.

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The Visconti Castle of Bereguardo, Castello Visconteo of Bereguardo in Italian, is a medieval castle in Via Castello 2, Bereguardo, Province of Pavia, Lombardy, Italy.

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The Visconti Castle of Abbiategrasso is a medieval castle in Abbiategrasso, Lombardy, northern Italy. It was among the first Visconti castles built according to their typical quadrangular layout. In the 14th and 15th centuries, it was one of the preferred residences of the duchesses of Milan of the Visconti and Sforza houses. Today, the castle's surviving part serves as the seat of the municipality of Abbiategrasso.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Visconti Castle (Binasco)</span>

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The Dal Pozzo Castle is a castle of medieval origin located in Oleggio Castello, Province of Novara, Piedmont, northern Italy. In the 19th century, it underwent profound transformations providing it the current neo-Gothic Tudor aspect. Today it is the seat of a hotel.

The Visconti Castle of Crenna is a castle of mediaeval origin located in Crenna, frazione of Gallarate, Lombardy, Northern Italy. It is linked to the fame of Lodrisio Visconti, who raised against and then reconciled with the members of the family of his cousin Matteo Visconti, Lord of Milan. In the 14th century, the castle underwent expansion and destruction according to the alternative fortunes of Lodrisio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Visconti-Castelbarco Castle</span>

The Visconti-Castelbarco Castle is a castle of mediaeval origin located in Cislago, Lombardy, Northern Italy. 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.

The Visconti Castle of Castelletto is a castle of mediaeval origin located in Castelletto sopra Ticino, Piedmont, northern Italy. It is named after the Visconti house, to which it belonged between the 13th and the 20th century.

The Visconti Castle of Fagnano is a castle located in Fagnano Olona, Lombardy, northern Italy. It lies at the border between the town of Fagnano and the Olona valley.

The Visconti Castle of Voghera is a Medieval castle in Voghera, Lombardy, Northern Italy. It was built in the 14th century by the Visconti, lords and dukes of Milan.

The Visconti Castle of Jerago is a castle of Middle Age origin located in Jerago, Lombardy, Northern Italy. Having been a property of members of the Visconti house between the 13th and 18th centuries, it retains still today their memory in its name.

The Visconti Castle of Vogogna is a medieval stone-made castle in Vogogna, Piedmont, Northern Italy. It was built in the 14th century by the Visconti, lords and dukes of Milan.

The Visconti-Sforza Castle or Sforza Castle of Galliate is a medieval castle in Galliate, Piedmont, Northern Italy. It was erected in the 15th century by the Sforza, dukes of Milan, on a previous fortification built by their progenitors Visconti.

References

↑ Del Tredici & Rossetti (2012) , pp. 126–127
↑ Filippini (2014) , pp. 58–65
↑ Del Tredici & Rossetti (2012) , p. 126
↑ Filippini (2014) , pp. 58–65
↑ Boniforti (1871) , p. 118
↑ Brunati et al. (2016) , pp. 139–140
↑ Del Tredici & Rossetti (2012) , p. 127
↑ Del Tredici & Rossetti (2012) , p. 127

Sources

Boniforti, Luigi (1871). Il Lago Maggiore e suoi dintorni. Corografia e guida storica, artistica e industriale (in Italian). Milan.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
Brunati, Maria Cristina; Carrisi, Nadia; Panzeri, Enrica; Sassi, Giorgio (2016). "Archivi gentilizi del Castello Visconteo di Somma Lombardo". Annuario dell'Archivio di Stato di Milano 2016 (in Italian). Milan: Scalpendi editore. pp. 139–140. ISBN 9788899473013.
Del Tredici, Federico; Rossetti, Edoardo (2012). Percorsi castellani: da Milano a Bellinzona: guida ai castelli del ducato (in Italian). Castelli del ducato. ISBN 9788896451021.
Filippini, Ambrogio (2014). I Visconti di Milano nei secoli XI e XII. Indagini tra le fonti[The Visconti of Milan in the 11th and 12th centuries. Researching the sources] (in Italian). Trento: Tangram Edizioni Scientifiche. ISBN 9788864580968.

External links

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[1] Del Tredici & Rossetti (2012) , pp. 126–127

[2] Filippini (2014) , pp. 58–65

[3] Del Tredici & Rossetti (2012) , p. 126

[4] Filippini (2014) , pp. 58–65

[5] Boniforti (1871) , p. 118

[6] Brunati et al. (2016) , pp. 139–140

[7] Del Tredici & Rossetti (2012) , p. 127

[8] Del Tredici & Rossetti (2012) , p. 127

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v t e Visconti of Milan
Lords and dukes of Milan	Ottone, archbishop (1277–1294) Matteo I (1294–1302; 1311–1322) Galeazzo I (1322–1327) Azzone (1329–1339) Luchino I (1339–1349) Giovanni, archbishop (1349–1354) Matteo II (1354–1355) Galeazzo II (1354–1378) Bernabò (1354–1385) Gian Galeazzo (1378–1402) Giovanni Maria (1402–1412) Filippo Maria (1412–1447) Bianca Maria, daughter of Filippo Maria and wife of Francesco I Sforza Valentina, daughter of Gian Galeazzo and grandmother of Louis XII of France
Archbishops of Milan	Ottone (1262–1295) Giovanni II (1342–1354) Roberto (1354–1361) Giovanni III (1450–1453) Gaspare (1584–1595) Federico II (1681–1693) Filippo Maria (1784–1801)
Castles and fortifications	Abbiategrasso Angera Bereguardo Bergamo Binasco Cassano d'Adda Castell'Arquato Castelletto sopra Ticino Cherasco Cislago Crenna Cusago Fagnano Olona Galliate Invorio Jerago Legnano Locarno Lodi Massino Milan Mirabello Novara Oleggio Castello Pagazzano Pandino Pavia Piacenza Romano di Lombardia Somma Lombardo Trezzo sull'Adda Urgnano Vercelli Vigevano Voghera Vogogna
Churches	San Giovanni in Conca Santa Maria alla Scala
Related topics	Biscione Hours of Gian Galeazzo Visconti Trezzo sull'Adda Bridge Visconti Park Visconti-Sforza Tarot