SHARRYLAND
The castle of Malpaga, buen ritiro of Bartolomeo Colleoni
A castle surrounded by a moat, around it the houses of soldiers and servants: this is the last home of the leader who wanted to make himself a prince
Where is
What is it and where is the Castle of Bartolomeo Colleoni
Bartolomeo Colleoni, the great Captain of Fortune, purchased a ruined castle from the City of Bergamo, then the domain of the Venetian Republic. He soon transformed it into an elegant and refined but impregnable mansion, surrounded as it was by a double moat, one around the main building, now overgrown with grass, the other around the residences, where the road runs today. Here he held his court, a testament to his success in life, and received distinguished guests. His heirs continued the work of transformation by enriching the mansion, which became a true villa of delight.
Why it is special: a treasure trove of Gothic frescoes
The interior is truly splendid, consisting of numerous rooms entirely frescoed around a square courtyard that is also frescoed. The oldest rooms are those on the upper floor with elegant paintings in the International Gothic style, of the Burgundian school, unfortunately in a poor state of preservation. The themes are fairy and courtly. The loggia that runs along the entire floor on the courtyard is also covered with 17th-century frescoes.
Not to be missed: the Renaissance rooms
The rooms on the lower floor are the best preserved and most fascinating, with Renaissance frescoes commissioned by the condottiere's heirs and attributed to Romanino. The Banquet Hall is splendid, in which the visit of Christian I to the castle is depicted in vivid colors, with scenes of hunting, tournaments, and banquets. Before you leave, don't forget to look up at the wonderful painted wooden coffered ceiling. The courtyard fresco on the wall opposite the entrance is also not to be missed, albeit with its somewhat faded colors: it depicts the Battle of Riccardina, one of Colleoni's exploits.
A bit of history
Theoriginal castle dates back to the 14th century and the tower remains of it; Colleoni (1395-1475) bought it in 1456 and, two years later, moved in with his wife and daughters. It was visited by the king of Denmark in 1474. Romanino's frescoes were executed between 1520 and 1530.
A curiosity-somewhat daring?
The castle is decorated everywhere with the Colleoni coat of arms, carved, painted, graffitied. And yes, it is just what it looks like, three pairs of testicles. Tradition claims that it alluded to an "anomaly" of the condottiero, in reality it is just an image translation of the surname; at most, if it was an anomaly, it was that of his ancestor, the first to bear that surname. It seems, however, that the leader was very proud of it and wore it with pride; certainly even today, with a somewhat politically incorrect expression, a strongman is said to be a man "with attributes."
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