Castle of Corenno Plinio, Medieval castle in Dervio, Italy.
Castle of Corenno Plinio is a medieval fortress in Dervio featuring two distinct towers and strong walls built from local stone rising on a promontory. The structure is crowned with crenellated battlements and commands views over Lake Como from its elevated position.
A fortress at Corenno is first documented in 1040, when the Republic of the Three Pievi besieged and took it while local inhabitants sheltered inside. The lower part of the square tower in the north-east corner dates to the communal age. The castle was remodelled between 1363 and 1370 into its present form; the Dervio statutes of 1389 first record the Andreani as castellans, though other sources say the Archbishop of Milan gave it to them in 1277. In 1396 Gian Galeazzo Visconti occupied it, and in 1629 it was sacked by the Landsknechts.
The castle takes its name from the Andreani family, recorded as castellans in Dervio's 1389 statutes; other sources say the Archbishop of Milan gave it to them in 1277. The adjacent Church of Saint Thomas of Canterbury is linked to the site. In the 18th century the inner space was planted as a vineyard.
The castle stands in the Corenno Plinio hamlet of Dervio, on the eastern shore of Lake Como. The moat was filled in 1830-1831 to build the provincial road between Lecco and Colico, which now runs beside the walls. The small dock below the walls was designed by Luigi Cagnola. The site is reached on foot through the hamlet's lanes.
The walls feature distinctive swallow-tailed merlons and contain narrow slots specifically designed for distant crossbow fire. These details illustrate how defenders optimized their positions against attackers.
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