Orino Castle, Medieval rocca in Orino, Italy.

Orino Castle is a fortified structure sitting on elevated terrain in northern Italy, featuring stone walls and towers from the medieval period. The construction shows typical defensive design used across the Lombardy region during that era.

The first documented mention of the fortress appears in the acts of the parish church of S. Lorenzo in Cuvio, dated March 1176. It was probably refortified in the Lombard period and controlled by the Besozzi or the Cotta, to whom Francesco Sforza granted the Valcuvia pieve in fief in 1450. It served as a military stronghold in the 13th-century Guelph-Ghibelline wars until the Visconti victory. The Rocchetta in the inner courtyard dates to 15th-century reworking; Swiss troops occupied it in 1512 until the Battle of Marignano in 1515, after which it was dismantled.

The castle remains connected to local identity and shows how medieval communities protected their lands. Hikers and history enthusiasts use the site today to understand the past of this hilly region.

The fortress stands on a rocky spur at 540 metres, northeast of Orino, above the Valcuvia. It is privately owned, so the walled courtyard, cistern and ruined Rocchetta are seen from outside. The climb from the village is on foot over uneven ground; the wooded slope and exposed spur mean changeable weather.

The castle is locally called "Roca di Arian". Legend holds that Arians expelled from Milan by Bishop Ambrose took the fortress and held it until Milanese troops took the "Forte di Varese" in 389 AD, fleeing when Saint Lawrence appeared in flames.