Rocca Borromeo di Angera

Rocca Borromeo
Angera, Lombardy, Northern Italy in Italy
The Rocca seen from Arona, on the opposite side of Lake Maggiore
Rocca Borromeo is located in Northern Italy
Rocca Borromeo
Rocca Borromeo
Coordinates45°46′27″N 8°34′17″E / 45.77417°N 8.57139°E / 45.77417; 8.57139
TypeRocca
Site information
OwnerHouse of Borromeo
Open to
the public
Yes (daily from mid-April to September, Friday to Sunday from mid-March to mid-April)[1]
ConditionExcellent
Site history
Built13th and 14th centuries
Built byOttone Visconti, Bernabò Visconti, and House of Borromeo
MaterialsLocal stone

The Rocca Borromeo di Angera, or Rocca d'Angera, also called Borromeo Castle, is a rocca on a hilltop above the town of Angera in the Province of Varese on the southern shores of Lago Maggiore.[2][3][1] It has medieval origins and initially belonged to the Milanese archbishop. It passed then to the Visconti of Milan and later to the Borromeos, who are still the owners.[4]

It is visible across the lake from Arona, where the remains of another castle with the same property history, the Rocca di Arona, stand.[5]

General view of the different parts forming the castle

The fortress comprises four parts, built in different periods, that enclose an internal courtyard. On the northeastern side, a wall with corner turrets extends outside the building and bends towards the lake until the edge of the cliff enclosing a garden.[2]