Opens Sabato 27 Apr '24
Castello e Rocca di Agazzano
The surprise in Agazzano is to find the Castle next to the Rocca and to take a journey through time from the Middle Ages to the 18th century and beyond, visiting both inside and outside.
The Rocca, accessible through two opposite flights of stairs, overlooks a highly evocative courtyard: it represents a happy synthesis between the austerity of medieval defensive architecture and the elegance of the noble residence of the Renaissance. The Castle, which was converted into a quiet noble residence at the end of the 18th century, is furnished with period furniture and houses elegant pictorial decorations and precious frescoes.
The special feature of this beautiful architectural complex lies in its constitution.
Next to a fortress built in the 13th century with a purely military function (round corner towers, drawbridge, donjon with ravelin) and endowed in 1475 with a beautiful loggia commissioned by Luigia Gonzaga, you find the 18th-century villa that was originally the village of the Rocca. The halls of the villa are decorated on the walls with beautiful tempera paintings and furnished with furniture ranging from 1600 to 1800. The beautiful ceramics and porcelain are of great value. The garden with its French-style cut and equipped with statues and a fountain was also created at the end of the 18th century; Luigi Villoresi, who was the director of the Park of the Royal Villa of Monza, was also involved in its design.
Founded as a defensive fortress, the Rocca di Agazzano dates back to 1200 and was enriched in 1475 with a beautiful loggia that softened
its military appearance. The layout is rectangular with round towers and ravelin. Inside, in addition to the loggia with sandstone columns with coat-of-arms capitals, there are large halls, private flats with period fireplaces, kitchens and military quarters. The structure represents a happy blend of the austerity of medieval architecture and the elegance of a Renaissance stately home. The Rocca is surrounded by a large French-style garden on two levels. The presence of statues, fountains and exotic plants contributes to the charm of a place lost in time gone by. Adjacent to the military fortress is the 18th-century villa, built on the ancient village, with frescoes and a characteristic courtyard with portico. The fact that the Agazzano Castle has belonged to a single family since its origins and the preservation of the structure in its medieval and Renaissance aspects make this property an evocative and rare example of history, tradition and culture. The other novelty is the opportunity to stay overnight in the Castle in a suite with a double bedroom, bathroom and living room equipped with every comfort: it is the room dedicated to Eleonora Rangoni and overlooks the French garden, the adjacent Castle and the gentle hills of the Luretta Valley. The exclusivity of "a single suite" will allow you to have the Rocca all to yourself. An unrepeatable experience for those who wish to experience the emotion and, why not the thrill, of living in an authentic manor house.
The story of Eleonora Rangoni, wife of Gaspare Scotti, is undoubtedly one of the most fascinating that the castle can recall. It is said that the sweet Countess with the long blonde hair spent her afternoons reading and drawing. Even today her spirit still hovers in the loggia of the Rocca.
It is possible to sleep in the Eleonora Rangoni suite at the Castle of Agazzano, just 20 kilometres from Piacenza.
In addition to guided tours, the Castle and Fortress of Agazzano offer the possibility of: events, sleeping in the manor, celebrating weddings and ceremonies, hosting business meetings and conferences, vintage car and motorbike rallies, concerts, themed dinners and lunches, and art exhibitions.
The Castle and Fortress of Agazzano in Emilia are part of the circuit of the Castles of the Duchy of Parma, Piacenza and Pontremoli.
