Castle of Cassino Scanasio

building in Cassino Scanasio, Italy

Cassino Scanasio Castle (Italian: Castello di Cassino Scanasio) is a castle defensive of medieval origin. It is in the ancient village of Rozzano near the Prada Foundation, inside the Mirasole Oasis.

Macconago Castle
Castello di Cassino Scanasio
Rozzano-Milano
Coordinates45°23′23″N 9°09′01.03″E / 45.38972°N 9.1502861°E / 45.38972; 9.1502861
Typemedieval castle
Site information
Ownerprivate and public museum
Open to
the public
in part
Conditionrestored
Other site
facilities
residential
Site history
Built10th century CE
Materialsstone and mortar
Fate
  • military use until 16th century CE
  • civilian use since

History

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The Castle of Cassino Scanasio dates back to 1000 AD. In some documents, the presence of a fortified rural building called “casinae scanasane” with appurtenances on the surrounding land is mentioned for the first time.

The real turning point for the structure came at the beginning of the sixteenth century when the complex was bought by the Milanese family of Trivulzio. They changed it from a fortress into a real country house, having the characteristic towers built cylindrical.

In 1836, the castle was bought by the Visconti di Modrone family.

Structure

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The castle, with a quadrangular structure, stands near the West Milan ring road, in a position that was once strategic for controlling both access to the capital of the Duchy of Milan from that point and the surrounding countryside.

Once surrounded by a moat with water, the same was filled by hiding the base of the towers which therefore appear more squat than normal, and which were built after the walls. Access to the structure is possible through a brick ravelin that replaces what once must have been a wooden drawbridge.

It is accessed through the masonry bridge that connects to the main entrance on whose key of the arch the visonteo snake is imprinted.

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