Castello Pallavicino, Medieval castle in Varano de' Melegari, Italy.

Castello Pallavicino stands on a sandstone block in the centre of Varano de' Melegari, built around a square courtyard. Its oldest part is the north-corner keep, once reached by a drawbridge and holding the old prisons on the ground floor. The south-east side facing the village has three aligned towers, with the entrance on the flank of the middle one.

The fortress began in 1087 under Uberto Pallavicino as a defensive structure and underwent major reshaping in the mid-15th century under Marchese Rolando il Magnifico. This remodeling helped establish it as both a residence and administrative seat.

The castle is named after the Pallavicino family, who held Varano from 1087 and rebuilt the fortress around 1400 and again in 1452. The south-east side, facing the village, has three aligned towers with the entrance on the flank of the middle one, a layout that differs from other Visconti fortifications.

Visitors should know that access is through guided tours lasting about one hour, organized by the local municipality. School groups and private visits can be arranged with prior notice.

The castle's oldest part is the north-corner keep, once reached by a drawbridge later replaced in masonry. Its ground floor held the prisons where Annibale I Bentivoglio was locked up in 1442; on 6 June 1443 Galeazzo Marescotti and four other Guelphs freed him, and he returned to Bologna to lead the revolt against Niccolò Piccinino.