Castle of Trezzo sull'Adda

History

Since prehistoric times, the castle's site hosted a Celtic settlement and, after the 7th century, was inhabited by Lombard populations. The first fortifications on the hill are attributed to them. Along with the Early Middle Ages and until the 13th century, the buildings were repeatedly transformed.

Towers were built on two points of the peninsula: at the northern end, the Teodolinda Tower, named after the Lombard queen; on the eastern side, the Black Tower (the Torre Nera) traditionally attributed to the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa.

At the end of the 13th century, the Visconti family assumed the lordship of Milan. In the following decades, they extended their dominions in northern Italy, incorporating Bergamo and Brescia, east to the Adda river. After 1355, the two brothers Galeazzo II and Bernabò Visconti divided the family territories. Trezzo was part of the eastern portion obtained by Bernabò.

In 1370, Bernabò ordered the construction of a new castle on the Trezzo peninsula, as part of a broader plan to fortify the territories under his rule. The castle extended along the southern portion of the peninsula. On its northern part, the previous fortifications were not altered. The central building had a rectangular plan, elongated from south to north along the peninsula. The tower of the castle, 42-meter high, was erected a few meters south of the central building and connected to it with two walls. The castle, therefore, resulted in having a pentagonal shape. Along the two sides of the castle, parallel to the river's course, casemates were built under the wall, partly excavating the rock.

Bernabò's project included a fortified bridge over the Adda river that connected the castle to the eastern territories under his rule. The bridge had a single arch with a 72-meter span, never achieved before, and was 8-meter wide. Two towers on its ends controlled the passage through the bridge. A second walkway was realized on a lower level inside the bridge. …

Today

The restored ruins of the castle, the Taccani hydroelectric power plant, and the Adda river's natural environment characterize today the Trezzo area.

The remains of the castle are open for tourist visits. The tower can be visited up to its top. The casemates on the eastern side of the castle are also accessible. The older Teodolinda tower is visible from the river bank at the extreme north of the peninsula.