Visconti Castle (Cusago)
The Visconti Castle, or Castello Visconteo, is a castle in the town of Cusago near Milan, Lombardy, Northern Italy. It was built in the 14th century by Bernabò Visconti and used as a hunting lodge by him and other Visconti family members. The castle underwent significant changes in the Renaissance period; today, it is in neglected conditions. History Bernabò Visconti was lord of Milan between 1354 and 1385. He ordered the construction of the castle of Cusago in 1370. It had a quadrilateral layout, and a single tower over the entrance, features conserved until today. It was created as a country residence and connected to a hunting park. The most extended side measured 96 meters. The court of Bernabò Visconti frequently attended the castle. After the dethronement of Bernabò, the building passed to his nephew Gian Galeazzo, the first duke of Milan. Between 1425 and 1440, Duke Filippo Maria Visconti took great care of the castle and the surrounding park. His mistress Agnese del Maino occasionally lived there. In 1438 a little canal (the naviglietto) was excavated to connect the castle to the nearby Naviglio Grande. After the period of the Ambrosian Republic (1447-1450), the castle was abandoned, and part