Castle of Varano de' Melegari

The Pallavicino Castle of Varano De 'Melegari stands on a sandstone rock, in a strategic position for the control of the Ceno valley, and it represents an extraordinary example of medieval defensive architecture: a fortress designed and built to be impregnable.

Founded between the 10th and 11th centuries (the first written document that directly certifies its existence is the "Chronicle Pallavicina" of 1087), the castle owes its imposing appearance mainly to the enlargement and strengthening interventions carried out at the end of the 14th century by Niccolò Pallavicino, with the approval (and probably also the creative contribution) of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, powerful Duke of Milan and a great military strategist; the base of the fortress takes up the typical quadrangular plan of the strongholds of the time, but it has numerous peculiarities, including, first of all, the ingenious defensive system of the entrance, equipped with three massive towers aligned on the same side with the access inserted in a secluded position at the base of the central one: a particular configuration that made it impossible for the enemy to target the door from afar, and, due to the limited space for maneuver, to use rams and bulky siege structures.

Except for a period between the beginning of 1600 and 1637, years in which it became part of the possessions of the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza, the castle remained firmly under the control of the founding family for most of its centuries-old existence. In 1828 the fortress passed into the hands of the Grossardi, leading noblemen of the revolutionary secret society of the Carbonari, until, at the end of the 19th century, the Levacher family settled there and lived until about the middle of the 20th century. Since 2001, the castle has been owned by the Municipality of Varano De 'Melegari.

Visit route
The fortress can be visited with guided tours, led by guides in medieval clothes (Cultural Association Oltre Lo Specchio - www.oltrelospecchio.com) 
In addition to the garden and the courtyard, you can visit the ancient keep, at the base of which is the infamous Bentivoglio Prison, the fifteenth-century wing with the Sala delle Armi, the patrol walkways, the panoramic terrace, the kitchens, the elegant eighteenth-century staircase, the study and the magnificent frescoed Hall of Honor.
Duration of the visit: about an hour 
On special occasions, such as visits at night, the basement of the fortress is also open to the public.

The castle is pet friendly. You can enter with any pet, kept on a leash, in a cage, or in the arms of the owner who does not disturb the other participants in the guided tour.