On the Fornello tower stands from centuries a weatherwave flag of wrought iron with astrl symbol: three eight-pointed stars and an ellipsoidal planet in the middle. The history of this flag is unknown. It’s a perhaps a trace of the old owners, the Sanseverino ancient family, Princes of Naples, alchemist and scholars of the stars. We like to interpret it misssing out the most mysterious part, giving to the star a particular sense.

The star wants to indicate the cardinal points of taste: the north and south, east and west. The four basic tastes of a wine perceived by the tast buds: bitter, sour, sweet and salty, and the various nuances that make it even more complex and interesting tasting. This flag so special and full of symbolism, today has become our logo and corporate brand.

Legend tells that the tower is haunted by the ghost of a young noblewoman, burned at the stake with changes of witchcraft, that is still occasionally walking throught the ancient rooms of the palace.

http://www.torrefornello.it

Torre Fornello

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Castel San Giovanni (Piacentino: Castél San Giuàn) is a town and comune in the province of Piacenza, Emilia-Romagna, Italy.
History
The origins of the town are probably related to an ancient pieve called Olubra and a fortress called Castellus Milonus, which preceded the construction of a new castle by Alberto Scoto in 1290 (now also disappeared).

After a period under the Dal Verme family of lords-condottieri, it became part of the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza in 1485.

Main sights
The Collegiata (14th century), with Baroque portals and a 1496 crucifix by Giacomo del Maino and his son Giovanni Angelo.
Church of San Giovanni Battista (12th century)
Villa Braghieri-Albesani (18th century), with several frescoed rooms.

Castel San Giovanni

Situated on a hill at about 300 metersabove sea level, along the route from Agazzano to Pianello Val Tidone, in a splendid panoramic position about 30 kilometers from Piacenza, the Castle is mentioned the first time in 1412 when it was enfeoffed to the Arcelli by Visconti

Its strategic position was ideal for the control of the routes running from the Po river to the Apennines.

Built in origin as a military fortress, it underwent numerous modifications and was transformed  to a residence for noble families and became a cultural centre full of precious works of art.

The history of this castle is marked by the numerous passages in property often determined by murders, fraud, or extinction of noble families for lack of heirs. Today the castle is privately owned,  partially abandoned and in need of refurbishment.

The brick castle is quadrangular and has five towers. Inside a monumental staircase leads to the upper floors –  A portico on the ground level and a 17th Century loggia at the upper level . Worthy of mention the grand halls on the first floor with coffer ceiling and decorative frescos: the music room, the dining-room, and a series of lavishly decorated rooms plus a beautiful garden overlooking the valley towards Piacenza.

Lastly, the small chapel dedicated to Saint Joseph with the relics of Saint Felice Martyr.

https://www.poderecasale.com

The Castle of Boffalora 


The Castle of Sarmato is located in the Valle del Tidone and it is presumable its history had already begun in the year 1216 when this manners, together with those of Castel San Giovanni and Borgonovo, served to protect the city of Piacenza from the numerous raids coming from the area of the Pavia area.

At first it was owned by the Pallastrelli accounts, but they saw it as half destroyed in 1270 in the battle against the Landi family of Bardi. In the following centuries the castle passed several times by hand to several owners and became the object of intricate military political events until 1819 when it came into possession of the counts Zanardi Landi, who are still its owners.

The complex, entirely built in brick, is surrounded by walls that once were surrounded by a moat. They enclose a small village divided by two perpendicular streets, with the castle, three churches, houses and the rocchetta. Inside there are large halls, partly with vaulted ceilings and partly coffered, sitting rooms, bedrooms with semi-double beds, the former hall of arms, the rooms of the archive with the parchments of the Venetian Republic, the large 17th century dance hall and the "Sala dei filosofi" study with the vault of the 15th century frescoed by Bonifacio Bembo, all furnished with period furniture. Outside then you can visit the court of carriages and the charming Italian garden.

It is also possible to book the "emotional poetic" experience in the places of San Rocco di Montellier, which in Sarmato has linked the most famous events and legends of his holy life.

https://www.histouring.com

Castello di Sarmato  

La Rocca d'Olgisio is one of the most ancient fortresses of the Piacentino, as well as an inestimable architectural jewel of incredible complexity. Tradition has it that the castle belonged to a nobleman named Giovannato at the beginning of the 5th century. The earliest certain information that we have received dates back to 1037 when Giovanni, a canon in the cathedral of Piacenza, ceded the property to the monks of San Savino, who maintained it until 1296. For a hundred years, the historically turbulent period was the subject of numerous disputes between nobles and knights, including the Visconti, the Malaspina and the counts Zileni Dal Verme.

During the Second World War it was the headquarters of the second division of the partisan of Piacenza and for this reason it was made the subject of artillery shots and attacks by the German troops in the area.

On the doorframe that allows entry from the third wall in the courtyard is carved the motto Arx fearless (fearless fortress or fortress that fears nothing), this access was equipped until the nineteenth century with a drawbridge and protected by a gate railing. Inside the courtyard there is a well, about fifty meters deep, on which legends of secret passages and escape routes from the castle persist. On the whole, which is very complex, we can see: the oratory, the bell tower, the donjon with frescoed halls and a sixteenth-century lookout gallery.

Outside, just beyond the walls, there are some caves that housed a prehistoric necropolis, are linked to legendary and sacred events: the cave of the saints (Faustina and Liberata), the conscripts and the cypress.

La Rocca, arranged on several levels, with an almost pyramidal development that converges in the central body of the building, the fortress has six orders of defensive walls, which descend down to the valley towards the rivers Tidone and Chiarone. Between the first and second walls, in a group of seventeenth-century rustic houses, there are rooms available as accommodation. Equipped with a kitchenette and a living room with fireplace, they feature ceilings with wooden beams, terracotta floors and period furniture, which give a cozy atmosphere, typical of a home.

The Bengalli family, which has permanently resides here since 1979, manages both the Bed & Breakfast activities and the other services available at the fortress. Receptions, private parties, wedding banquets and cultural events - always with the support of a catering service - find in these spaces a suggestive realization, which among ancient armors, frescoed vaults, objects and original furnishings recall the noble past of ladies and knights.

https://www.histouring.com

Rocca d'Olgisio

The Castle of Agazzano is a fortification located in the heart of Val Luretta, where the last hills leave space to the plain; the structure is located right on the edge of the village of Agazzano and is the cornerstone of the most important village of the valley, an ancient property of the Scotti family that still today hold the domino.

The complex consists of two buildings: next to the medieval fortress built in 1200 and equipped in 1475 with a magnificent loggia that softens the military aspect, we find the residential villa built at the end of the eighteenth century on the foundations of the ancient castle.

The fortress has a rectangular plan with round towers and ravelin through which, passing under the entrance dungeon, you enter the inner courtyard where, in addition to the open gallery with sandstone columns, are the large halls, kitchens, military barracks and private apartments. The entire structure represents a successful combination of medieval, austere and essential architecture, and the Renaissance elegance of stately homes. The fortress is then surrounded by a beautiful French garden developed in two levels, where the presence of fountains, statues and exotic plants highlight the charm of a place lost in the past.

Located next to the fortress, a few tens of meters, stands the residential building, built on the ruins of the ancient village, with its porticoed courtyard, frescoed ceilings and luxurious furnishings.

Within this incomparable frame it is possible to transform particular occasions such as weddings, banquets, gala dinners and meetings in unforgettable memories: the wide spaces both inside and outside allow in fact to host a total of 400 people in an environment full of charm, culture and history and have the best services to organize and live events in an extraordinary way.

Castello e Rocca di Agazzano

History
The Castle of Agazzano is a fortification located in the heart of Val Luretta, where the last hills leave space to the plain; the structure is located right on the edge of the village of Agazzano and is the cornerstone of the most important village of the valley, an ancient property of the Scotti family that still today hold the domino.

The complex consists of two buildings: next to the medieval fortress built in 1200 and equipped in 1475 with a magnificent loggia that softens the military aspect, we find the residential villa built at the end of the eighteenth century on the foundations of the ancient castle.

The fortress has a rectangular plan with round towers and ravelin through which, passing under the entrance dungeon, you enter the inner courtyard where, in addition to the open gallery with sandstone columns, are the large halls, kitchens, military barracks and private apartments. The entire structure represents a successful combination of medieval, austere and essential architecture, and the Renaissance elegance of stately homes. The fortress is then surrounded by a beautiful French garden developed in two levels, where the presence of fountains, statues and exotic plants highlight the charm of a place lost in the past.

Located next to the fortress, a few tens of meters, stands the residential building, built on the ruins of the ancient village, with its porticoed courtyard, frescoed ceilings and luxurious furnishings.

Within this incomparable frame it is possible to transform particular occasions such as weddings, banquets, gala dinners and meetings in unforgettable memories: the wide spaces both inside and outside allow in fact to host a total of 400 people in an environment full of charm, culture and history and have the best services to organize and live events in an extraordinary way.

https://www.histouring.com

Rezzanello Castle dominates a splendid panorama, and located a short distance from the cities of Piacenza and Milan. The building dates back to the tenth century and is surrounded by a seven-hectare Centennial Park. All the internal and external environments are particularly suitable for weddings, meetings, concerts, conventions, fashion shows and many other events. Rezzanello Castle has over 2,000 seats heated. BACKGROUND: The castle appears first mentioned in a 1001 document. On this occasion the bishop Sigifredo granted to the Benedictine monks of San Savino (Piacenza) some land, including the area of ​​the Castle. The building has a trapezoidal plan and has four circular towers. A thousand a year goes around the first of the four towers, which only later became four. The Castle was often the scene of clashes and battles. In 1212 the Guelphs of Piacenza took refuge threatened by the Ghibellines Visconti, but were defeated because later defeated in two battles. In the fourteenth century the castle was inhabited by Gabriello Boccapiccina, then passed to Chiapponi family. This extinct in the eighteenth century took over the Scotti of St. George, which deeply readapted the building, transforming it into a stately home. At the beginning of the twentieth century the castle belonged for a short time to Lombardi of Genoa; It was later sold to Ing. Giuseppe Manfredi, who had it restored by Prof. Camillo Guidotti. From 1930 to 1987 the building was the property of the Ursuline Mothers of Piacenza. The current property offers the opportunity today, in deep respect for the tradition and essence of the manor, to live an unforgettable experience to anyone who desires. ENGLISH: Rezzanello Castle dominates a splendid landscape, located a short distance from the cities of Piacenza and Milan. The building dates back to the tenth century and is surrounded by long-established grounds of about seven hectares. All indoor and outdoor environments are well-suited for weddings, meetings, concerts, conventions, fashion shows and many other events. Rezzanello Castle has over 2,000 seats heated. BACKGROUND: The castle Appears first Mentioned in a document from 1001. On this occasion the bishop Sigifredo granted to the Benedictine monks of San Savino (Piacenza) some land, including the area of ​​the Castle. The building has a trapezoidal plan and has four circular towers. Dates from about the year one thousand the first of four towers, Which Became later only four. Often the Castle was the scene of clashes and battles. In 1212 the Guelphs of Piacenza took refuge threatened by the Ghibellines Visconti, but were defeated Because later defeated in two battles. In the fourteenth century the castle was inhabited by Gabriel Boccapiccina, then passed to the family Chiapponi. This extinct in the eighteenth century the Scots took over St. George, who readapted profoundly transforming the building into stately home. At the beginning of the twentieth century the castle belonged to the Lombardi for a short period of Genoa; It was sold to Ing. Joseph Manfredi, who had it restored by Professor Camillo Guidotti. From 1930 to 1987 the building was the property of the Ursuline Mothers of Piacenza. The current property offers the opportunity today, in deep respect for tradition and historical essence of the manor, an unforgettable experience for anyone who wishes.

https://www.itinari.com

Castello di Rezzanello

Il castello di Belgioioso è un monumento situato a Belgioioso, a pochi chilometri da Pavia.
Origini
Nel 1376 Galeazzo II acquistava dal pavese Lanterio de Cazabove un castello, dotato di torre e ricetto, a Belgioioso. L'attuale castello fu probabilmente ricostruito da Galeazzo II nella seconda metà del secolo XIV in un'estesa proprietà dei Visconti nel territorio ove in seguito sorse il paese di Belgioioso. Il nome "Zoioso" fu forse attribuito al castello per l'amenità del luogo e per la felicità che un tempo doveva recare il soggiorno in quella terra. Il duca Gian Galeazzo II vi soggiornò ripetutamente; tanto cara gli era la dimora a Belgioioso che, con una sua lettera del 22 dicembre 1393, proibì la caccia ai cervi e a qualsiasi altra selvaggina fino a Bereguardo-Vigevano e Abbiategrasso. Inoltre questo provvedimento è citato anche nel famoso testamento del 1397 in cui il Duca ordina che per rimedio e suffragio dell'anima sua si edifichi un monastero, casa e chiesa certosina, sul territorio pavese "in loco turris de Mangano". Il duca però escludeva dalle donazioni ai certosini il grandissimo parco presso il castello di Pavia e le possessioni di Bereguardo e Belgioioso.

"... Colla tenuta Torre dei Preti confinava un'altra proprietà Joiosus o Zoiosus; forse in origine un centro di coltivazioni, ma venuto poi in possesso dei duchi di Milano, qui attirati dall'abbondante selvaggina, trasformato a fortificazioni, a forma di castellotto, cui convenivano cortigiani, bracconieri, cacciatori, al seguito della Corte Ducale Convennero dai paesi vicini famiglie a sistemarsi, e così si formò l'abitato numeroso da soppiantare anche S. Giacomo: Zoioso ebbe il massimo sviluppo sotto Galeazzo II e Cian Galeazzo". (P.GHIA)

"... dal castello di Belzoiosus il 15 di settembre del 1388, Gian Galeazzo avvertiva il Podestà di Milano di permettere la caccia al cinghiale ma a solo coi cani e noia coi lacci... ... e con lettera del 21 dicembre del 1393, estendeva la proibizione alla caccia dei cervi e di qualunque selvaggina oltre al Ticino, a Bereguardo, a Belgioioso, a Vigevano, ad Abbiategrasso."(C.MAGENTA)[4]

Secolo XV

Dipinti all'interno del castello
Non si sa quale fosse esattamente l'ampiezza del castello in quel momento. Si dice che il maniero fosse stato distrutto nel 1412 e poi ricostruito in seguito all'uccisione del duca Gian Maria Visconti, figlio di Gian Galeazzo e di Caterina Barnabò, ma questa notizia non trova conferma in documenti. Il successore Filippo Maria non amava soggiornare a Belgioioso come i suoi predecessori a causa dei frequenti straripamenti del Po, del suolo arido e delle scarse rendite. Per questi motivi lo cedette come feudo nel 1412 a Manfredo Beccaria I infeudazione, ma tale casato si ribellò ed i beni furono confiscati ed affidati ad altri Visconti. Nel 1431 Filippo Maria, poco soddisfatto dell'andamento delle cose, concedeva il "castrum" ad Alberico da Barbiano (II infeudazione). Più tardi al nome di quel casato fu aggiunto il predicato di Belgioioso, allora sede di un Vicariato di notevole ampiezza che comprendeva le Pievi di Vaccarizza, Ospitaletto, Genzone, Pissarello, Spessa, Filigaria, Montesano, Torre de' Negri, Gerenzago e San Zenone. Una conferma di questa investitura si ebbe da parte di Francesco Sforza.

I conti di Barbiano
L'antichissimo ceppo dei conti di Cunio e di Barbiano, (ricordati da Dante nel c. XIV del Purgatorio) era noto e potente in Romagna fin dal sec. XI, ove possedette con titolo comitale i feudi imperiali di Cunio (1241), Barbiano, Lugo, Zagonara, Bagnacavallo, Fusignano, Donigallia.

Fra i vari conti di Barbiano il più celebre è certamente Alberico il Grande. Ricco, potente, signore di vasti feudi, d'animo battagliero, ardente, ambizioso, costituì una compagnia di ventura di 200 lance, partecipò, fra le altre imprese, all'assedio e distruzione di Cesena (sembra però che egli deplorasse questa guerra fratricida), in seguito passò in Lombardia ai servizi dei Visconti.

Frattanto la compagnia si era accresciuta, ed era stata battezzata "Compagnia di S. Giorgio"; la costituivano 800 lance scelte. Nessuno straniero però ne faceva parte, poiché Alberico, condottiero di larghe vedute, esperto nell'arte militare, e che assai bene conosceva l'animo dei mercenari, non volle mai accettare che italiani a militare sotto le sue insegne.

È noto anzi che il motto dei Belgioioso: "Italia ab esteris liberata" risale, come vedremo, alla sua fama di ricostruttore della Milizia italiana, in tempi in cui i Malatesta, i Farnese, gli Ubaldini, Luchino Dal Verme ed altri signori italiani avevano formato compagnie di ventura, accogliendovi sciaguratamente anche la parte peggiore delle lance inglesi e delle barbute germaniche.

Secolo XVII
Nel Seicento la nobiltà, soggetta al dominio spagnolo, si dedica ad una vita di lusso, mollezze, violenze... Anche i duchi di Belgioioso non furono esenti dal triste andazzo dei tempi. La terribile peste del 1630 non risparmiò il territorio e la sua gente che visse inenarrabili sofferenze a causa del flagello devastatore e delle malversazioni di soldataglie prepotenti.

Secoli XVIII e XIX

Le serre del castello
Nel Settecento il castello risorse a vita festosa e brillante per opera di un altro principe, Alberico. Il Vidari, ricorda le superbe feste date in onore dell'Infante di Spagna nel 1783 e in onore di Eugenio Beauharnais, quando venne in Italia come viceré. Sempre in questo secolo il castello fu ampliato e ricostruito. Don Antonio Barbiano fece costruire la bellissima cancellata ed abbellì quasi tutto il palazzo rinnovando i vasti giardini e le serre. Nel 1769 fu nominato principe del Sacro Romano Impero e di Belgioioso, titolo trasmissibile ai maschi primogeniti con vari privilegi, fra cui quello di battere la cosiddetta "moneta di ostentazione" con la sua effigie. Il figlio Alberico XII fu uomo di talento, amante dell'arte. Fece eseguire lavori sotto la direzione del Pollak. Fu generoso, ospitale, tra le sue amicizie si annoverano il Parini ed il Foscolo ospiti al castello. Intraprese opere di bonifica, istituì scuole per i bambini dei coloni e si adoperò per migliorare la vita della popolazione. Fu devoto alla Corte senza esserne schiavo, deplorò che il Governo di Vienna non attribuisse incarichi di governo agli italiani. Partecipò alla guerra dei sette anni, dimorò alla corte francese. Fu avverso alla Rivoluzione francese ed al nuovo regime, trascorse gli ultimi anni della sua vita in solitudine. Dovette subire l'onta della distruzione dei suoi stemmi ed armi nobiliari per ordine del Governo Francese. Durante questo suo volontario esilio ebbe come ospiti il Parini ed il Foscolo e sotto gli occhi di quest'ultimo morì il 17 agosto 1813. Al figlio primogenito toccarono il titolo di principe ed il castello di San Colombano; al ramo cadetto i possedimenti di Belgioioso ed il titolo di conte.

Castello di Belgioioso

The Castle of Rivalta
Il Rivalta Castle it is one of the very few European examples of manors surrounded by an ancient village habitually inhabited by the family Zanardi Landi, since the end of 1.200.

Thousands of tourists visit this exclusive and highly evocative place every year, coming from every region of Italy and from abroad. The castle and its village have kept intact their unique history, their magic and their charm.

Il castle has 54 sale furnished with furnishings e vintage carpets (from 1400 forward) and made functional over time to accommodate guests with needs obviously changed with the passing of the centuries.

The castle has been and still is visited by Kings and Queens, by Princes, by Members of Noble Families and State leaders, coming from all over the world. In this amazing place, Princess Margareth, the sister of Elisabeth, the Queen of England, has spent her summer holidays for several years.

The history of the Castello di Rivalta
The first news on the existence of the Rivalta Castle seems to date back to an 1025 purchase act.

in the XNUMX as evidenced in the documents of the time, the emperor Henry II gives a part of the manor to the monastery of San Savino in Piacenza.

Thirty years later the rest of the structure is sold to the same monastery, which, thanks to this acquisition, gained in richness and importance.

For the following century, the Castle was concerned by sieges, destructions and alternation of owners.

the lord of the Village and of the feud is Obizzo Landi. Since then the Castle has always belonged - with brief interruptions - to the Landi family.

In the XNUMX both theCastle that the Village are purchased by the Earl Carlo Zanardi Landi of Veano, descendant of Pietro Zanardi Landi, one of the contenders in the divisional litigation occurred in the fourteenth century.

To the Zanardi Landi, current owners, we owe the restoration and the magnificent development of the structure.

https://www.dimorestoricheitaliane.it

The Castle of Rivalta

The oldest part of the Castle, originally a fortress erected on high ground, is the great Tower, from which it was possible to control a long stretch of the Po River (Cuneulus super Padum). It is believed to have been built by King Luitprand around 740 C.E., when Pavia was the capital of the Lombards. Its purpose was to serve as a fortress and a stronghold for the defence of the Po and the “Via di Monte Bardone”, which subsequently came to be known as the Via Francigena-Romea, connecting Northern Europe with Rome. 
In 910 C.E., King Berengar I gave the Rocca, or fortress, to the Benedictine monks of the Abbey of Saint Cristina, located just a few kilometres away, of which it became an integral part. 
In 990, Sigeric, the Archbishop of Canterbury, travelling along the Via Francigena on his way back from Rome to Canterbury, designated the Abbey of Saint Cristina, with its Castle, as the 40th stopover (station) along that route. 
Just outside the fortress to the north rises a tiny fortified hamlet, part of the castle complex and completely rebuilt in 1600. It consists of a complex of buildings whose entrance is protected by a moat, two watchtowers, and four defensive towers set outside the walls on the hamlet's far sides. 
In 1251, the Abbot of the Abbey of Saint Cristina appointed a feudatory Lord to take stewardship of the Castle and the extensive lands associated with it. It did not take long after that for the Castle to become, beginning in the 13th century, one of the most important Lombard fiefdoms. It was ruled over by the Pusterla family until 1340, when they became involved in a conspiracy against the Visconti family and were ruthlessly exterminated. 

https://www.castellodichignolopo.it