Borromeo Castle’s growth can be traced to its various hillside sections. At the top of the hill is the original fortified lookout tower and the Visconti Wing, followed by the western end of the small palazzo and the Visconti Tower. The half-acre medieval garden, overlooking the lake and enclosed between the vineyard, was recreated in 2008 and includes authentic and medicinal plants and aromatic herbs from the time period. Stefano Ember/Shutterstock
The Borromeo castle, also known as Rocca d'Angera, sits on a rocky cliff overlooking the town of Angera in the Lombardy region of northern Italy. With panoramic views of Lake Maggiore and the Alps, the fortified castle was strategically located to defend itself against the incursions of Swiss and Imperial (Byzantine) troops. Borromeo Castle is one of the best-preserved masterpieces of Italian Medieval architecture.
Initially, the castle belonged to the Milanese archbishop, then passed to the Visconti of Milan, and later to the Borromeos, who still own it today. The castle comprises five buildings, which were built at different times between the 11th and 17th centuries. The five bodies of the castle—the castle tower (the original fortified lookout tower), the Scaligera Wing, the Visconti Wing, the Giovanni Visconti Tower, and the Borromei Wing—enclose an internal courtyard. These buildings retain their unique iconic features.
The Viscontis carried out important expansion and decoration works. When Ottone Visconti, archbishop and first lord of Milan, acquired the castle during the battle of Desio (1277), he added a new wing called the Visconti wing (or Ottonian wing), which showcases the Sala di Giustizia (Hall of Justice). An unknown “Master of Angera” painted the hall with magnificent frescoes described as being “among the richest and most complex in Italian medieval painting.”
Between 1375 and 1385, Bernabò Visconti built a third wing known as Ala Scaligera (Della Scala wing) for his wife, Regina Della Scala.
The fourth building, called the Borromean wing, encloses the northern side of the castle. Originally built by the Visconti family, the Borromeo family made extensive renovations—including adding a magnificent Baroque staircase—in the 16th and 17th centuries. The Tower of Giovanni Visconti includes the Hall of Borromeo Glory, the Hall of the Good Roman, and the Hall of Mythology—each named for the subjects of Baroque paintings that were commissioned to decorate them.
Borromeo Castle’s north outer wall is topped by crenelated battlements, alternating between merlons (which extend parts of the wall upwards) and embrasures (empty spaces between them). Combined with the merlons' swallow-tail (inverted v) design, this military feature now appears decorative. elitravo/Shutterstock
The second floor of the Visconti Wing features the Hall of Justice, which is divided into two bays with a double cross vault ceiling. The 14th-century frescoes depict events from the life of Archbishop Ottone Visconti with astrological symbols that correlate to each historical episode. On either side of the window is a fresco of the archbishop leading an army to victory at the 1277 Battle of Desio. Francesco Bonino/Shutterstock
The internal courtyard (Corte Nobile) is the the first thing visitors experience after entering the grounds. As the heart of the fortress, the courtyard accesses the five bodies of the castle and still retains its original paving. Uniquely Gothic in its aesthetics, the entrance arch, which has a slight point at the apex, is capable of supporting greater weight than a hemispherical arch. Francesco Bonino/Shutterstock
The Visconti Tower’s Hall of Borromeo Glory was inspired by a series of large paintings by the 17th-century Baroque artist Filippo Abbiati. The canvases were created to celebrate the antiquity and grandeur of the Borromeo family. Though the Visconti Tower was updated during the 16th and 17th century, the hall—including the colorful geometric frescoes, the windows, and the furniture—maintains the castle’s original Gothic style. Wirestock Creators/Shutterstock
Frescoes by the 15th-century painter Michelino da Besozzo decorate Borromeo Castle’s Hall of Ceremonies. The depicted scenes from Aesop’s fables were framed and hung at Borromeo castle after being saved from the Palazzo Borromeo ruins in Milan. The 1943 bombing destroyed much of the Milanese building. elesi/Shutterstock
Though Borromeo Castle resembles a Renaissance villa with square towers, red roofs, and stone walls, its outer fortifications and asymmetrical design points to a beautified military structure. The Visconti Wing (right of the Main Tower) is an excellent example of 13th-century residential architecture. Built with squared and smooth local stone, it features simple windows on the ground floor and mullioned windows on the upper floor. Stefano Ember/Shutterstock
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James Baresel is a freelance writer who has contributed to periodicals as
varied as Fine Art Connoisseur, Military History, Claremont Review of Books,
and New Eastern Europe.
