Castello di Sarmato: A Medieval Fortress in Italy

Visitor Information

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Official Website: visitpiacenza.it

Country: Italy

Civilization: Medieval European

Site type: Military

Remains: Castle

History

The Castello di Sarmato stands in the municipality of Sarmato, Italy, and traces its origins to the early medieval period. Constructed around the year 1000, the fortress was likely founded by the Sarmatians, an ancient people, though it soon came under the control of the Lombards. Its strategic location made it a key defensive outpost for the Guelph factions centered around Piacenza, serving to resist the rival Ghibelline forces from nearby Pavia.

The first documented historical event linked to the castle occurred in 1216, when combined militias from Milan and Piacenza assembled there to launch an attack on neighboring Ghibelline strongholds. In 1270, the fortress, then held by the Pallastrelli family, suffered significant damage during a siege led by Count Umberto Landi of Bardi. Over the following centuries, ownership changed hands several times. In 1376, the castle passed from the Pallastrelli to Bartolomeo Seccamelica, before being inherited by the Scotti family. For a brief time, the castle was controlled by the Arcelli counts of the Tidone valley, but it returned to the Scotti Douglas branch in 1441, when Duke Filippo Maria Visconti granted the castle and its countship to Alberto III Scotti Douglas.

During the intense conflict between the Duchy of Milan and the Republic of Venice over Piacenza in 1447, Alberto Scotti entrusted the fortress to his relative Luigi dal Verme, a Milanese ally. After a period of warfare and political shifts, the castle was restored to the Scotti family in 1493 following the death of Count Taddeo dal Verme. The Scotti lineage maintained possession of the property for over three centuries until 1819, when the last male descendant died. Ownership then transferred to the Zanardi Landi counts of Veano, who have since undertaken gradual restoration projects.

Throughout its history, the Castello di Sarmato played an important military role due to its position controlling the crossroads of two significant routes: the Via Emilia, coming from Pavia, and the pilgrimage path known as the Via Francigena. This location made it a focal point in the ongoing struggles between Milanese and Pavesi factions, particularly during the turbulent medieval and Renaissance periods.

Remains

The Castello di Sarmato is a brick-built medieval complex enclosed by a defensive wall and moat. Within this enclosure lies a compact, rectangular settlement organized by two main streets that intersect perpendicularly. This inner settlement includes residential buildings, the castle itself, the Oratory of San Carlo Borromeo, and the Rocchetta, a smaller fortress area once accessed by a drawbridge, the iron hinges of which remain visible today.

Access to the settlement is controlled through three fortified gates. The principal entrance on the southern side features a crenellated ravelin, an outer defensive work, with two adjacent arches: a pedestrian arch and a pointed arch designed for carts. Both gates were originally equipped with drawbridges. On the eastern side, the gate also houses the town hall, while the western gate, known as the Rocchetta, provided quarters for the garrison stationed within the fortress.

Facing northward toward the former bed of the Po River, the castle itself occupies a U-shaped footprint formed by expansions made over time. It grew out of a 13th-century keep built atop the foundations of an earlier Lombard tower, highlighting its long defensive use. The Scotti Douglas and later the Zanardi Landi families enlarged the castle, adapting it for noble residential purposes and incorporating an Italian-style garden within the walls.

A unique feature of the site is a signal tower with a distinctive irregular pentagonal base, an architectural form uncommon in the defensive structures of the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza. Within the enclosed settlement, the Oratory of San Carlo Borromeo stands out as a rare well-preserved example of Ambrosian religious devotion in this part of Italy.

Near the settlement entrance lies a small building known as the “Casino,” which historically served as a hospital for pilgrims traveling along the Via Francigena. This facility occupied a strategic location at the crossroads between the Via Romea and the road leading to the Po River and its port at Veratto, supporting travelers on these important routes.

Throughout the site, several medieval defensive elements remain visible. These include drawbridge hinges, crenellations along walls, and other fortification features that reflect the castle’s primary military function across centuries, alongside its later residential adaptations. Restoration efforts by current owners have helped preserve these elements, maintaining the castle’s historical character.