The land of Lomellina is rich in places of interest, such as castles and medieval structures that offer inhabitants and tourists an almost fairytale-like landscape, the background of many events that have contributed to the history of the area. This characteristic has earned it the nickname of "little loire", just like the French region.
To enhance this aspect of Lomellina, a project dedicated to all those who love to learn about the history of the area by visiting and admiring the beauties it offers was created.
This project includes itineraries to visit Abbeys, Castles, Fortresses, involving the municipalities of Alagna, Breme (San Pietro Abbey), Cassolnovo, Agogna Castle, Cergnago (Erbamara), Cozzo, Frascarolo, Galliavola, Gambarana, Lomello, Mede , Mortara (Sant'Albino), Olevano, Palestro, Pieve del Cairo, Robbio, Rosasco, Sartirana, Scaldasole, Torre Beretti, Tortorolo, Valeggio and Valle Lomellina.
GUIDED TOURS TO CASTLES AND TOWERS
Second Sunday of the month from April to October - Other days available for groups INFORMATION AND RESERVATIONS at the numbers +39 328 7816360 - +39 335 285956
Itinerary of the Castles and Abbeys in Lomellina
Castles, towers and fortresses dating back to the Middle Ages form the itinerary of the "little Loire" in Lomellina.
Photo gallery
Itinerary description
Choose a point of the itinerary to start from
1° place on the itinerary
Alagna Castle
The castle, built by the Malaspina after 1534 for defensive purposes, stands in the main square of the town. Private property.
2° place on the itinerary
Villanova castle - Cassolnovo
The castle located in the hamlet of Villanova, dating back to the 14th century, was the country residence of the Sforza dukes, who experimented there for the first time with the cultivation of rice in Lomellina.
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3° place on the itinerary
Isimbardi castle - Agogna Castle
The castle, built in the Middle Ages, became the heritage of Emperor Federico I known as Barbarossa in 1164. Today it is managed by the Vera Coghi Foundation.
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4° place on the itinerary
Cozzo Castle - Gallarati Scotti Castle
The castle, initially owned by the Confalonieri, was sold to the Caccia novaresi and, in 1465, to the Gallarati, still owners today. The castle of the Celpenchio district dates back to the fourteenth century. Private property.
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5° place on the itinerary
Frascarolo Castle
The Visconti era castle, built in the 14th century, has been a national monument for about a century. The adjacent Peasant Museum is rich in history. Private property.
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6° place on the itinerary
Galliavola Castle
The construction of the castle is attributable to the fourteenth century. Private property.
7° place on the itinerary
Gambarana Castle
The castle (16th century) stands in the center of the town in the shape of a parallelepiped; two noteworthy monuments are a cylindrical half-tower and an entrance with the coat of arms of the Counts of Gambarana. Private property.
8° place on the itinerary
Crivelli Castle - Lomello
In 1450 Antonio Crivelli had the castle built almost from the foundations, which had been destroyed by Facino Cane, and had it surrounded by a moat. Today it is the seat of the town hall.
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9° place on the itinerary
Mede Castle
The castle built in the 12th century was the seat of the Counts of Mede and then of the Sangiuliani. Today it houses the "Masinari" library and the civic museums. In the Tortorolo hamlet the castle dates back to the 16th century. Private property.
10° place on the itinerary
Olevano of Lomellina Castle
The medieval castle (15th century, today private property), around which the historic center develops, is surrounded by a large park and a 19th-century farm.
11° place on the itinerary
Palestro Tower
Of the ancient castle, built in the Middle Ages, only the tower known as “dei Visconti”, dating back to the 12th century, remains.
12° place on the itinerary
Pieve del Cairo Castle
The first mentions of the castle appeared in the 12th century: it would be owned by the Beccaria and the Guasco family from Alessandria. Private property.
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13° place on the itinerary
Robbio Castle
The building, which dates back to the 14th century, has a quadrangular courtyard layout. The most important element is the tower. Private property.
14° place on the itinerary
Rosasco Castle
The castle, built at the end of the 9th century, is one of the oldest in Lomellina: today only the Consegno tower and the Ghibelline tower remain.
15° place on the itinerary
Visconti Castle - Sartirana Lomellina
The castle was built in the 14th century on a design by Bartolomeo Fioravanti (Moscow Kremlin and Castello Sforzesco in Milan): today it houses the Sartirana Art Foundation. The pile is an example of agro-industrial archeology.
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16° place on the itinerary
Valeggio Castle
In the early Middle Ages the town was known for its fortress, a tower which bears the inscription "Ambrosius Majnoni fecit opus an. 703". Private property. Part of the farm buildings have been refurbished for public events.
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17° place on the itinerary
Torre Beretti Castle
The castle developed around the Torre de 'Beretta, named after the noble feudal family. Private property.
18° place on the itinerary
Valle Lomellina Castle
In the 10th century the small rural village tightened around the defensive tower, the primary nucleus of the future castle which developed under the De Valide, Strada and Litta families. Private property.
19° place on the itinerary
Abbey of San Pietro of Breme
The Benedictine Abbey of San Pietro was the seat of the Bremetense Order, one of the most powerful in Italy and Europe. Restored around 1650, today the abbey houses the town hall. Also worth visiting are the Romanesque baptistery (8th-10th centuries), the crypt (10th century) and the rural sanctuary of Santa Maria di Pollicino (private property).
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20° place on the itinerary
Erbamara of Cernago Abbey
The Vallombrosan Abbey of Erbamara developed at the end of the 12th century on the banks of the Agogna stream. Today it is private property.
21° place on the itinerary
Acqualunga of Frascarolo Abbey
The Cistercian abbey of Acqualunga, joined to the monastery of San Pietro, was already reknown by the end of the 12th century. In 1529 the bishop Vigevano became a feudal lord, who is to this day abbot of Acqualunga.
22° place on the itinerary
Basilica complex of Santa Maria Maggiore in Lomello
The religious complex in the center of the town consists of the baptistery of San Giovanni "ad fontes" (5th - 7th century, Lombard monument with the remains of the original baptismal font) and the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore (11th century, early Romanesque period Lombard).
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23° place on the itinerary
Sant'Albino of Mortara Abbey
The Carolingian abbey of Sant'Albino was the scene of the battle between Charlemagne, king of the Franks, and Desiderio, the last Lombard ruler (12 October 773). The Frankish paladins Amico and Amelio, perished in the battle, are the object of devotion of the pilgrims who go to Rome along the Via Francigena.
24° place on the itinerary
San Valeriano of Robbio Abbey
The Abbey of San Valeriano (5th-6th century) was rebuilt by the Cluniac monks at the end of the 11th century: initially dedicated to Andrea, it was dedicated to Valeriano in 1236, when the body was transferred there.
25° place on the itinerary
Sanctuary of the Madonna of Casaletto in Valle Lomellina
The sanctuary of the Madonna of Casaletto is located along the road to Lomello. An ancient tradition has it that the place was built following a miracle that occurred in the second half of the fourteenth century.
26° place on the itinerary
Velezzo Lomellina Parish Church
The Parish Church, one of the oldest churches in Lomellina dedicated to the nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is an architectural complex documented as early as the 10th century. Next to the church there is the baptistery of San Giovanni Battista and, not far away, stands the oratory of the Madonna dello Zocco, originally a pagan temple.