THE CASTLE OF VIGOLENO
Enter the keep, an imposing medieval tower, and climb to the top to enjoy the spectacular view of the surrounding hills. Walk along the patrol walkway connecting the tower to the Castle-Palazzo Scotti and visit the elegant furnished rooms and the delightful little Ruspoli Gramont theatre from the 1920s.
THE FORTIFIED TOWER
In the past, the mighty quadrangular tower with embrasures, corbels and Ghibelline merlons was the extreme defence of the fortification of the Vigoleno village, consisting of the ravelin and the patrol walkway leading from the keep to the southern tower and the castle proper.
It has three inner sides surrounded by walls, which fall back at that point, and reinforces the entry to the village from the small square in front. It has three floors, plus a fourth that coincides with the crenellated upper part. It has undergone considerable changes over time: the best preserved part is the one on the ground floor, with the old floor and the narrow entrance door, where the castle ticket office and tourist information point are now located.
VISIT THE FORTIFIED TOWER AND CASTLE OF VIGOLENO: DISCOVER TIMETABLES AND GUIDED TOURS.
THE WEAPONS HALL
The weapons hall is here. In addition to information panels on military architecture and archaeological finds, armour and halberds are on display. This is not the castle’s original equipment, which has been lost over the centuries: the equipment on display is the result of donations.
Photographic reproductions of 16th-17th century maps of Vigoleno and the Arda Valley are exhibited on the second floor. The originals, by cartographers Paolo and Alessandro Bolzoni, are kept in the Passerini Landi local library in Piacenza. Historical photographs by Alessandro Cassarini document how Vigoleno looked in the late 19th and early 20th century.
On the third floor, two showcases display fossils from Stirone e del Piacenziano regional Park . Climb the last few steps and you will come out on the roof of the fortified tower. From here, you can observe the wonderful panorama of the surroundings and take in the exceptional integrity of the village at a glance, which frequently hosts theatre and music performances in the summer season.
THE PATROL WALKWAY
The first floor of the keep gives access to the patrol walkway leading to the south tower, which in turn is connected to the residential part of the Castle-Palazzo Scotti – now a privately-owned hotel – by a metal walkway dating back to the late 1990s renovations. From the south tower, upon entering the castle, you can admire a room furnished as a parlour at the time of Princess Ruspoli Gramont (first half of the 20th century); the ceiling with its decorations is remarkable.
THE RED ROOM
The large hall on the first floor is distinguished by a coffered ceiling with polychrome cartouche ornamentation and a double frieze with putti and allegorical figures on the upper part of the walls. The chimney hood in kaolin is elaborately decorated with two statues of putti, resting on wide volutes, hold an enormous shell. The table in front of the fireplace is from the 18th century; the sofa and armchairs from the early 20th century.
THE BLUE ROOM
The Blue Room is filled with paintings and furnishings. A large Murano glass chandelier illuminates the starry ceiling and is framed by a frieze painted with biblical subjects from Genesis (The Creation, The Expulsion from Paradise, The Great Flood and subsequent episodes). To the left of the entrance is a Renaissance painting: it is a landscape by Girolamo Romani from Brescia, known as Romanino (1485/87-1562).
THE THEATRE
The little theatre commissioned by Princess Ruspoli Gramont, owner of the castle in the 1920s, is a delightful room completely decorated with brightly coloured and exotic subjects. In the centre of the small stage is a wooden scene set with a stylised representation of the medieval village. Today it is a Historical Theatre of Emilia Romagna and, with its 12 seats, one of the smallest in Europe.
THE HISTORY OF VIGOLENO CASTLE
The castle’s foundation dates back to the 10th century but the earliest documented date is 1141 when it was an outpost of the town of Piacenza, on the road to Parma.
The castle passed through many hands and was destroyed and rebuilt several times. Its history is intimately linked to that of the Scotti family, who made it the cornerstone of their undisputed political authority. In particular, Alberto Scoto, one of the leading exponents of the Guelph allies, fortified it in 1306.
In January 1373, the castle was conquered by papal troops, but it was once again was returned to the Visconti in April of the same year, thanks to a deception. The papal messengers, sent to ask for reinforcements after taking possession of the castle, fell into a trap set by the Ghibelline Giovanni Anguissola, who went to Vigoleno presenting himself as the long-awaited reinforcements. Having then entered the fortress under these false pretences, the Ghibellines easily took possession and later destroyed the building.
DISCOVER THE ANIMATED HISTORY OF THE VILLAGE ON OUR GUIDED TOURS
In 1389, the Duke of Milan Odoardo Visconti ceded the rights over Vigoleno to Francesco Scotti and granted him the licence to rebuild the fort. A rare case in Italian history, the village belonged almost uninterruptedly to a single family for five centuries, from the late 14th century to the early 20th century. In 1404, a diploma from Gian Maria Visconti elevated the fief to the rank of county; a brief agitated period followed, with subtractions made by the Piccinino brothers (1441-1449), at the end of which the Scotti family reconquered Vigoleno.
In 1622, the Farnese family conferred on Cesare Maria Scotti the title of Marquis of Vigoleno, thus the highest step of the duchy’s aristocracy.
BROWSE PHOTO GALLERY:
EVENTS IN VIGOLENO
WE ARE IN THE UPPER VAL D'ARDA
The Alta Val d’Arda is the easternmost Apennine part of the valley in the province of Piacenza, bordering on the province of Parma.
It has the irresistible charm of a land waiting to be discovered: a treasure chest of history, art, nature and flavours, for those who love to travel far from mass tourism.
