Top 16 Castles around Ziano Piacentino

Vicobarone, of Roman origins, takes its name from a 'Vicus Varroni' of the imperial era and has been known as "Vici Baruni" since the year 833. Possession of the monastery of Bobbio and considered one of the first organized communities in the area, it expanded thanks to the numerous and important monastic cells of the Bobbio monastery, present in the area. The transformation of the castle dates back to the end of the seventeenth century, carried out by the Marquises Malvicini Fontana who made it an elegant residence with large and well-kept cellars. A final renovation was recently carried out by the current owners who adapted the building to accommodate tourists without altering its architectural characteristics and recovering the thousandth tower in which the "blade well" from the feudal era was located.

The history of this castle has been tormented, many changes of hands conditioned by bloody events, frauds and family extinctions due to lack of heirs. In 1412 it was owned by the Arcelli family (who were most likely responsible for the first construction). Arranged on a rectangular plan with five stone and brick towers. Four towers that stand out from the corners and an entrance donjon in the center of the north-west façade. The towers have different shapes but all are quadrangular and have battlements covered by roofs. The structure is made of stone except for the projections of the towers which are made of bricks. Although externally it still appears to be in good condition, the complex has significant stability problems.

The Borgonuovo oppidum was founded in 1196 by the Municipality of Piacenza to defend the western border of its territories, equipped with a fortress, towers and city walls with an escarpment and fortified entrances. In the current complex, built entirely of bricks, the fortress and the receptacle can clearly be distinguished. These buildings together with the church and the pilgrims' hospital once formed the village of Calendasco. The body of the fortress has typical elements of fourteenth-century Po Valley castles, such as the sawtooth motif combined with the crowning of small windows with segmental arches. The deep moat, the entrance, once equipped with a drawbridge as can be seen from the recesses of the ravelin, and the pusterla, or small door, with drawbridge access are still visible. To the south is a semicircular tower much higher than the rest of the building; the north-east wing, equipped with a scarp and with a rustic appearance and lack of homogeneity, dates back to a later period. The entrance hall, covered by a cross vault decorated with sixteenth-century frescoes, leads into the courtyard where a portico with three arches is visible. The receptacle, a rustic body with small arched windows and a decorative sawtooth motif, is outside the moat, near the bridge-beater.

The Rocca di Pianello is believed to have been built towards the end of the fourteenth century, perhaps adapting a pre-existing 10th century fortress, destroyed by Federico Barbarossa in 1164. The reconstruction probably took place following the Visconti investiture of Jacopo Dal Verme in 1378. The irregular plan of the The building is perhaps due to the need to place a late medieval extension to the only tower of which we traditionally have memory. The owners made important changes in the 17th century, transforming it into a private home; today the building houses the Municipality of Pianello and the Archaeological Museum of Val Tidone, which houses the fundamental evidence that emerged from excavations in the area.

Fortress of Borgonovo Valtidone The Borgonuovo oppidum was founded in 1196 by the Municipality of Piacenza to defend the western border of its territories, equipped with a fortress, towers and city walls with an escarpment and fortified entrances. In the current complex, built entirely of bricks, the fortress and the receptacle can clearly be distinguished. These buildings together with the church and the pilgrims' hospital once formed the village of Calendasco. The body of the fortress has typical elements of fourteenth-century Po Valley castles, such as the sawtooth motif combined with the crowning of small windows with segmental arches. The deep moat, the entrance, once equipped with a drawbridge as can be seen from the recesses of the ravelin, and the pusterla, or small door, with drawbridge access are still visible. To the south is a semicircular tower much higher than the rest of the building; the north-east wing, equipped with a scarp and with a rustic appearance and lack of homogeneity, dates back to a later period. The entrance hall, covered by a cross vault decorated with sixteenth-century frescoes, leads into the courtyard where a portico with three arches is visible. The receptacle, a rustic body with small arched windows and a decorative sawtooth motif, is outside the moat, near the bridge-beater.

Cicognola offers a splendid castle and an equally interesting panoramic point on the hills of the Oltrepò Pavese. Stop in this small town for a break and to admire its beauties.

Panoramic point on the first hill with a breathtaking view over the whole Po valley and view up to the skyline of Milan (from sunset to evening)

One of the most beautiful castles in the Oltrepo.