Bereguardo Castle, also called the Castello Visconteo of Bereguardo, was built in the first half of the 14th century, commissioned by Luchino Visconti to present a defense to the western borders of the Milan. It was also used as a winter residence and hunting lodge by Galeazzo II Visconti.
By the 15th century some refurbishment was pursued by Filippo Maria Visconti, who also constructed the Naviglio di Bereguardo, a canal linking to the Naviglio Grande.
The Duke Francesco I Sforza granted the castle to then Lord of Bereguardo, Giovanni Maruzzi da Tolentino, a captain and counselor to the Duke. In 1648, and it remained in this family's possession till the 18th century. After passing through a number of owners, it was donated in 1897 to the commune by the engineer Giulio Pisa. Presently, it houses city hall and the town library.
Originally, the castle was a square, made of brick, but the northern wing was razed. The southern end maintains a moated bridge and shows the original crenellations. The Eastern end has a bifore or single mullioned window. The castle lost a surrounding wall and the interiors are highly modified.
References:The Walls of Constantinople are a series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople (today Istanbul) since its founding as the new capital of the Roman Empire by Constantine the Great. With numerous additions and modifications during their history, they were the last great fortification system of antiquity, and one of the most complex and elaborate systems ever built. They were also the largest and strongest fortification in both the ancient and medieval world.
Initially built by Constantine the Great, the walls surrounded the new city on all sides, protecting it against attack from both sea and land. As the city grew, the famous double line of the Theodosian Walls was built in the 5th century. Although the other sections of the walls were less elaborate, they were, when well-manned, almost impregnable for any medieval besieger.