Visconti Castle, castle in Castelletto sopra Ticino, Italy
Visconti Castle is a fortress in Castelletto sopra Ticino surrounded by parkland with thick stone walls, tall towers, and a rectangular shape. Two of the four original towers remain standing, and the main wall features a large coat of arms of the Visconti family carved in white stone from Angera.
The castle was built in the 12th century by the Da Castello family as a fortified residence and later came under the control of the Visconti and Torriani families. In the 14th century it served as a key defense point for Milan, until after the Visconti's fall it passed to Savoyan and later French rule.
The castle inspired the famous novel "Marco Visconti" by Tommaso Grossi and influenced local storytelling traditions. The Visconti family coats of arms carved in white stone from Angera remain visible on the walls, connecting visitors to the noble families who once lived here.
The castle is private property and visitors must arrange an appointment in advance to enter. It is located at Via Ticino Panni 17 and is accessible on foot or by car, best approached with local directions or GPS guidance.
Remarkably, the castle was so deteriorated in the 18th century that people believed it was destroyed, yet historians kept its memory alive. In 1859 Giuseppe Garibaldi used boats from Castelletto to advance Italian unification, demonstrating the location's lasting strategic importance.
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