Invorio Castle

Invorio Castle, locally known as Castello di Invorio, lies in the village of the same name, in the Novara province in the Piedmont region in Italy.

The castle in Invorio, situated on a small hillock overlooking the village, was first mentioned in a document of 1039. It probably was built around the year 1000. Initially it belonged to the Counts of Pombia, but at the end of the 11th century it became the epicenter of a large territory in the hands of the powerful Counts of Biandrate. They held the castle until 1218 when it was sold to the city of Novara.

Subsequently it passed to a branch of the mighty Visconti family. Apparently the Viscontis had already been residing in the castle under the Biandrate Counts, as tradition has it that it was the birthplace of Ottone Visconti, the future Archnishop and Lord of Milan, in 1207. Later it would also be the birthplace of Matteo I Visconti, Ottone's nephew and future successor, in 1250.

Between 1356 and 1358, while the struggle for supremacy in the Novara area raged between the Viscontis and the Marquis of Monferrato, Invorio Castle was destroyed by Galeazzo II Visconti, Lord of Milan, to prevent it from falling into enemy hands. It was never rebuilt.

The castle's main remnant is the 16.5 meters high square tower, called the Visconti Tower. It was restored and embellished during the 19th century.

Invorio Castle can not be visited as it is now situated in a private garden. Must be nice to have a garden like this.

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