Castello Visconteo, Medieval castle in Pagazzano, Italy.

Castello Visconteo is a moated castle in Pagazzano with a square plan, surrounded by a still-watered defensive ditch. Its brick outer wall preserves two of the original four towers at the northern corners, fitted with arrow slits and round openings for bombards and culverins. The keep, with long narrow corbels, a portcullis and a winch, protects the entrance once reached by a main drawbridge and a footbridge.

A document from 1186 first records a fortress on the site. In the 14th century the castle passed to Bernabò Visconti and then to Gian Galeazzo Visconti, who gave it to his wife Caterina; Petrarch stayed there in 1357 and 1358 and in 1364 asked Bernabò to preserve and improve it. Between 1450 and 1475 the Visconti di Brignano rebuilt the 14th-century quadrangular fortification into its present form.

The fortress displays exhibits about rural Italian traditions managed by the Gruppo della Civiltà Contadina organization. Visitors can see how people lived and worked in the countryside through collections of everyday objects and tools.

Visitors can explore the castle grounds with guided tours organized by the municipality of Pagazzano. It is helpful to check ahead about available tours to make the most of your visit.

The moat is still filled with water today, the only example of its kind in the Bergamo area. The north wall kept its defensive features, with arrow slits and round openings for bombardelle and colubrine, while the south side lost its two towers and battlements in 1551.