Castello Visconteo (Binasco)

The Visconti Castle of Binasco is a medieval castle in Binasco, Metropolitan City of Milan, Lombardy, Northern Italy. It is famous for having been the prison and execution place of Beatrice di Tenda (Duchess of Milan and wife of Filippo Maria Visconti), who was arrested and sentenced to death for adultery in 1418. Today, it is the seat of the Municipality of Binasco.

Luchino Visconti, Lord of Milan, built the castle, probably between 1315 and 1319, when the nearby church of Saint Stephan was erected. Its first mention dates back to 1329 when Azzone Visconti and his uncle Giovanni used it as a prison for their political opponents.

The building followed the Visconti castle model of the Lombard plains: a quadrangular layout with a central courtyard, corner towers, and the surrounding moat. The walls were made entirely of exposed brick.

In the 17th century, the castle underwent transformations and restorations. At the end of the 19th century, it was sacked during the Napoleonic age, and in 1869, a devastating fire struck it. The current building results from repeated restorations that preserved the appearance of the initial castle. Two towers are still visible along the south front.

In good condition, the castle belongs partly to the Municipality of Binasco and partly to the Province of Milan. It hosts public offices of the town council, the public library, and the Carabinieri station.

Text adapted from “Visconti Castle (Binasco)” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Castello Visconteo (Binasco) ranks #7,414 of 8,764 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #503 of the 528 mapped in Italy. Founded 1329, it is older than 62% of the atlas's dated landmarks — one of 649 atlas entries founded in the 14th century. 20 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. The nearest day-trip guide is Milan, 17 km away. See how Italy compares in the castle statistics.

View on the interactive castle map →

Read the full history on Wikipedia ↗