NIGEL'S RAMBLES: Bianello and Montechiarugolo

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Bianello and Montechiarugolo

I worked in Quattro Castella for nearly fourteen years and climbed up to Bianello Castle during my lunch break many times, but I had never got around to visiting the inside until last Sunday after the habitual climb from the village.

Bianello, Quattro Castello, RE

Bianello is one of four castles that gives its name to the village. If you approach the village from the north one sees the four castles that seem like four firm breasts emerging from the landscape with a castle on each in place of the nipples.

Bianello, Quattro Castello, RE

Three of the castles are reduced to ruins, but Bianello is intact and was a private residence until 2002.

Bianello was the home of the Medieval Lombard Queen Matilda who acquired it in the tenth century and it remained in the family until the Eighteenth century.

Bianello, Quattro Castello, RE

The castle has been much altered over the years and it is not possible to visit the oldest part which is the square stone tower. It was much more interesting than I expected with some interesting frescoes and a ninetieth century games room.

Bianello, Quattro Castello, RE

I still had some time and so I decided to visit the nearby castle of Montechiarugolo and managed to catch the last visit.

Montechiarugolo,PR

This castle is a massive structure with imposing walls behind a deep dry moat. It is a typical Emilian castle with the typical “Merlatura” that defines these structures. The castle was built in the fifteenth century for Guido Torelli a condottiero or mercenary to use the modern equivalent. As often happend at this time in Italy, things ended badly for the Torelli’s with the Lord losing his head, thanks to the Farnese, Duke of Parma who wanted to get his hands on the property.

Montechiarugolo,PR

Like Bianello it seems from the outside far bigger than it is inside with a large central courtyard.

The castle is still a private residence and only a few rooms and the splendid terrace that overlooks the Enza Valley can be visited. The last room one visits is the most impressive with a splendid frescoed ceiling.