Montecchio Castle, Italy 012
The original fortified centre, which was very probably built in the Matilda,era, was from at first subject to the ecclesiastical powers of Parma then passed into the hands of a local family called da Montecchio, also known as Visdomini or Vicedomini because they were given the task of running the bishop's estate. It was they who exploited the strategic importance of the place by building, in the first half of the 1200s, a well equipped fortress. In 1206 the Marquis Azzo d'Este besieged the fort without achieving its capitulation, while Giberto Da Correggio, in one of his many incursions into the territory of Parma, attacked and dismantled
the fort in Montecchio in 1317. Submission to the Da Montecchio family was
interrupted in 1348 by Luchino Visconti who gave the feudal rights to the army leader Alberico da Visconti who is recorded as having commissioned the "Rotonda" and who was in turn substituted in1403 by Ottobono and Giacomo Terzi, rewarded for their merits at the service of the Dukes of Milan. The succession of sovereignties over Montecchio continued for the whole of the 15th century. In 1411 it was occupied by the Marquis Nicolo III d'Este, who gave it to Attenedolo "Sforza" in recompense for services rendered but already, in 1420, Filippo Maria Visconti managed to capture it. Only six years later Uguccione
Montecchio Castle, Italy 012
The original fortified centre, which was very probably built in the Matilda,era, was from at first subject to the ecclesiastical powers of Parma then passed into the hands of a local family called da Montecchio, also known as Visdomini or Vicedomini because they were given the task of running the bishop's estate. It was they who exploited the strategic importance of the place by building, in the first half of the 1200s, a well equipped fortress. In 1206 the Marquis Azzo d'Este besieged the fort without achieving its capitulation, while Giberto Da Correggio, in one of his many incursions into the territory of Parma, attacked and dismantled
the fort in Montecchio in 1317. Submission to the Da Montecchio family was
interrupted in 1348 by Luchino Visconti who gave the feudal rights to the army leader Alberico da Visconti who is recorded as having commissioned the "Rotonda" and who was in turn substituted in1403 by Ottobono and Giacomo Terzi, rewarded for their merits at the service of the Dukes of Milan. The succession of sovereignties over Montecchio continued for the whole of the 15th century. In 1411 it was occupied by the Marquis Nicolo III d'Este, who gave it to Attenedolo "Sforza" in recompense for services rendered but already, in 1420, Filippo Maria Visconti managed to capture it. Only six years later Uguccione