Castle of Castiglione delle Stiviere

The Castle of Castiglione delle Stiviere it remains at the top of a hill and overlooks the historic center; it can be reached via a staircase that starts from one of the main squares.

Castle of Castiglione delle Stiviere it is a fortification datable around the IX century built on the remains of a Roman castrum; in 1310 he was assaulted by Cangrande della Scala during his campaign against Brescia. At the beginning of the fifteenth century it became the property of the Gonzaga family of Mantua who, with Ludovico II (1334-1382), consolidated the walls; in 1491 Ludovico III (1412-1478) had a new fortress built by architect Giovanni da Padova. With Ferrante (1544-1586), the first Marquis of Castiglione, the Castilian branch of the Gonzaga family begins, bringing his residence with the court to this castle; always Ferrante will have the church of San Sebastiano built inside the castle as thanks for having escaped the plague of 1576. Here, March 9, 1568, Luigi Gonzaga (1568-1591), the future saint, was born. At the beginning of the seventeenth century Francesco Gonzaga (1577-1616) renovated the apartments. In 1706, during the battle of Castiglione, the French troops partially demolished the structure during the retreat; in 1763 the demolition continued with the removal of material for the construction of the cathedral. Currently the castle is the entrance tower, part of the wall, the church of San Sebastiano.

foto Valenti Daniele