CASTELLO VISCONTEO
Castle built by Galeazzo II Visconti, with two powerful towers in Pavia.
Surrounded by gardens, this castle built by Galeazzo II Visconti (1360-1365) is an imposing square building with two powerful towers. More than a strictly military building, the castle was an elegant and refined court. Of the many frescoes with scenes of hunting, battle and court life, only a few remains remain today, including the decoration of the Sala Azzurra with its marvellous starry ceiling. It is thought that this marvellous room could have housed the Visconti library. The castle became a military barracks until the end of the 19th century and lost most of its decorations. It houses the municipal museums:
Ground floor: this floor houses the collections from Antiquity to the end of the Middle Ages. Remarkable is the collection of gold and silverware from the Lombard period(Longobarda, 6th-9th century) and the section dedicated to medieval sculptures. A large exhibition hall has been one of the most important cultural centres in Lombardy for many years.
First floor: here is the Pinacoteca Malaspina, which houses numerous paintings by 17th and 18th century masters, including two Virgins with Child by Giovanni Bellini and a Portrait of a Man by Antonello da Messina. One room houses an extraordinary wooden model of the Duomo of Pavia and the collection of 19th century paintings.
Second floor: this floor houses the Risorgimento Historical Museum, the Robecchi Bricchetti Ethnographic Museum and the collections of ancient and contemporary sculptures.
