Castello di San Pietro, Historical park museum in San Pietro in Cerro, Italy

The Castello di San Pietro in Cerro is a brick fortress with a quadrangular plan and an inner courtyard, built in 1491 by Bartolomeo Barattieri on the remains of a 13th-century stronghold. A double 15th-century loggia graces the courtyard, two slender cylindrical turrets project from the corners of the north side, and the entrance, facing south, is guarded by the keep, which still bears the marks of the drawbridge bolts. The upper openings of the walls are closed by tilting wooden shutters called ventiere.

Bartolomeo Barattieri, son of the jurist and ambassador Francesco, bought the fief in 1446 from Bianca Maria Visconti, widow of Francesco Sforza. A stone epigraph in the courtyard records the castle's construction date, 1491, probably on the remains of a 13th-century fortification, of which traces of a moat and a ravelin survive. The Barattieri family, resident in Piacenza, kept it as a country residence for almost five hundred years.

The attic spaces hold the Museum in Motion, an exhibition of post-war painting and sculpture by Italian and international artists, with particular attention to artists from the Piacenza area. The Barattieri family, resident in Piacenza, kept the castle as a country residence for almost five hundred years.

The site is open on Sundays and holidays from March through November, with guided tours offered in multiple languages. It is advisable to verify opening times in advance and allow sufficient time to explore the various rooms and chambers.

The attic spaces hold the Museum in Motion, an exhibition of post-war painting and sculpture by Italian and international artists, with particular attention to artists from the Piacenza area. The castle is also part of the circuit of the Castelli del Ducato di Parma, Piacenza e Pontremoli.