The Castle of Pontevico is a former fortification built at the height of the early Middle Ages in Pontevico, Province of Brescia, currently used as a neuropsychiatric institute. It has also been remodeled several times over the centuries, due to the continuous sieges suffered over time. It was completely rebuilt in 1844, and the current version dates from the second half of the 20th century.
History
The origins of the fortress
With the Frankish conquest of the territory at the hands of Charlemagne, dating back to the 9th century, feudal struggles began (first between bishoprics and then between communes) and Pontevico found itself placed in an important strategic position along the course of the Oglio River.
The first construction of a castle dates back to the end of the 9th century due to the continuous raids carried out by the Hungarians at that time, being remembered in the chronicles of the time as a colossal stronghold, called munitissimum castrum. A wide moat equipped with drawbridges surrounded the fortress and encircled its forts. It is thought of the ancient presence of an underground road that, starting from the castle, connected Pontevico to nearby Robecco d'Oglio.
The long conflict between Guelphs and Ghibellines
12th century On July 26, 1127, Count Goizone Martinengo granted the investiture of Pontevico Castle to Bishop Villano and the consuls of the Commune of Brescia.
In 1191, Pontevico Castle had been, at the hands of Emperor Henry VI, ceded to the people of Cremona. However, it is known for certain that, in January of the following year, it immediately returned to Brescian hands, so much so that along with it came under Pontevico's control not only the waters of the Oglio River, but also the 100 trabucchi (170 meters) starting from the right bank of the Oglio, in Cremonese territory, and with them plantations, pastures and every building located in that area.
Also by the end of the 12th century, the fortress was one of the most important in the Brescian area, so much so that in the same period it was further renovated and enlarged as part of the grandiose military measures of the Commune of Brescia to deal with the growing threat from Cremona. On the occasion of the laying of the foundation stone of the new fortress, a special ceremony was held, in which the three most influential men in the town, after touching the pole of the public banner with their right hand, bowed and kissed the foundation stone, with the bishop's blessing.
The conflict between Guelphs and Ghibellines was developing during the century: Cremona was a city of Ghibelline traditions and bargained for the Empire, while Brescia was Guelph and bargained for the Church. The contadi of the two cities were divided by the Oglio River, and at the center of the border was Pontevico, which became the bulwark of the defense of Brescia's territory.
13th century
The fortress of Pontevico was, during this period, the target of Brescian outlaws who, out of spite against the city, tried to take possession of the fortress and cede it to the Cremonese. In 1208, the most egregious case happened: the Marquis Guido Lupo, commanding an army reinforced by soldiers from Parma and Cremona, besieged the castle and took possession of it, though it is not known whether by force or through the surrender or betrayal of the garrison commanders. The fort was then ceded to the Cremonese. However, due to Milanese help, the Brescians managed in the same year to retake the fortress, commanded by the then podestà of Brescia Obizone Pusterla. Guelph soldiers managed to penetrate the castle during the night with the enemy sentries half-asleep, so much so that with that event the mocking phrase Dormono i cremonesi nel castello di Pontevico (The Cremonese sleep in Pontevico Castle) was born.
In 1237, on the eve of the Battle of Cortenuova, the army of the Lombard League was stationed in the fortress. The army made the mistake of moving northwest, leaving Frederick II to cross the Oglio River right at Pontevico, where he found no resistance. The Emperor gave a military parade in the town, in which not only the Alemannic soldiers took part, but also the Saracens, who paraded their war elephants through the streets of the town. The following year, with the defeat suffered in the siege of Brescia, Frederick was forced to leave Pontevico (which he set on fire on the way to the town), which returned to the hands of the Brescians. However, in 1242 the Malessardi outlaws managed to seize the castle and cede it to the Cremonese. The Brescians managed to retake Pontevico in 1248, following the defeat suffered by the emperor in Parma. On March 8, 1252, Brescia and Cremona reached a settlement.
In this period, as a document signed by Alberto Notaio indicates, there were two castles in the town. In addition to this one, the larger one located in the upper part of the town, there was another one defending the lower part of the town, still called borgo, which disappeared during this century.
In 1260, Uberto Pelavicino conquered the Brescia area; however, the people of Brescia dismissed the governors imposed by the marquis, who, in quick response, razed many castles in the Lower Brescian area, including that of Pontevico. Despite this, the town returned to Brescian hands, while the fortress was rebuilt over the next few years.
14th century In 1308, the episode of Bishop Nicholas of Butrint is notable. The prelate was the bearer of an important letter and was in Soncino, subsequently being taken prisoner in Pontevico, garrisoned by 300 Guelphs. However, the religious man, after destroying the incriminated letter, ordered his servants to arrange everything as best he could and invited all the soldiers who were holding him to lunch in the military compound. As can be deduced from his diary, the bishop asked to be allowed to go to Robecco d'Oglio for wine, which was then in short supply at the castle:
Thus, having crossed the Oglio, he did indeed keep his promise to send wine to the castle, but he did so by sending back the friar of Pontevico and pretending, in agreement with the castellan of Robecco, to be detained in the village. He thus managed to free himself by an ingenious stratagem.
In 1311, the fortress was passed into the possession of the Ghibelline Giberto da Correggio, following the faction's success in the Siege of Brescia, which brought the entire Brescia area under the Lordship of Milan. During much of the 14th century, Brescia and Cremona being subjugated by the Visconti, it was precisely the Visconti and the Scaligeri, lords of Verona, who fought over the territory.
In 1362, the anti-Visconti League took possession of the village but the castellan managed to maintain control of the fortress, calling Bernabò Visconti to his aid. The armies of the League, formed by the Lords of Verona, Ferrara, Mantua and Carrara, with the support of the local population (the fortress did not contain any inhabitants of Pontevico), besieged the castle with 28 companies of knights and a large number of foot soldiers.
Bernabò, having gathered a good number of knights, headed for the fortress. Meanwhile, the besiegers, not knowing what aid the Visconti had sent, ended up putting the conquest of the fortress on the back burner; thus, the castellan warned Bernabò, who had arrived near Pontevico, of the Guelphs' lack of vigilance.
Thus it was that, at night, Visconti and his troops managed to sneak inside the fortress through the drawbridges. By day, the army broke out of the fortress and attacked the League, who responded in large numbers with the support of the people of Pontevico, armed with stones and spears. Despite initial resistance, the League army could not hold out for long and was forced to surrender. Pontevico was sacked and its inhabitants massacred or imprisoned, and the city walls were torn down.
The century of the condottieri
In 1404, the presence of Ugolino Cavalcabò is recorded inside the fortress, which he employed as a base for his own military operations, gathering there about 7,000 infantrymen and 200 horses. Also at the beginning of the 15th century, a truce with an exchange of prisoners was signed in the castle between Cabrino Fondulo (who requested to visit the fortress personally) and Pandolfo Malatesta, who later took refuge in the fortress, which he had fortified and then used it on several occasions against Cremona. The fifteenth century is remembered as the century of the condottieri (or captains of fortune), and during this period the Fortress of Pontevico hosted many of them.
In 1426, in the early stages of the Wars of Lombardy, the Republic of Venice, led by Carmagnola, invaded the Brescian area and took control of Pontevico Castle. The Serenissima erected and renovated the main fortresses on the Oglio River, therefore those of Orzinuovi, Asola and precisely Pontevico, entrusting their care to a provveditore and a castellan. According to a description from this period, the castle was surrounded by walls and ditches and equipped with bastions and watchtowers, while the town stretched around it, around the provincial road and the ancient parish church named after St. Andrew.
In the early stages of the conflict, no major events are recorded near Pontevico: despite being used by many generals as a base for military operations, its size and armament discouraged captains of fortune, who hesitated to besiege its fortress.
It was with the fifth and final phase that the castle again became the scene of clashes. On June 8, 1452, following a two-day siege, Francesco Sforza succeeded in bringing the fortress back under the control of the Duchy of Milan, being able to rely on a large number of men and the use of bombards.
In May 1453, Jacopo Piccinino, commanding the Venetians, besieged the fortress, trying to make use of the surprise-effect employed by Sforza the previous year. However, after three days of siege, the castle was still in the hands of the five hundred garrison men placed in the fortress. Thus, Piccinino on the morning of the 29th incited the people to the undertaking, who, by moving all their weapons in the direction of a single bulwark, succeeded in opening a breach there and penetrating the castle. At this point, in June, after several skirmishes consummated in the woods near Pontevico, the Venetian general tried, starting from Pontevico, to attack the Sforza, placed with his men on the right bank of the Oglio. Thus he again incited the people:
Of the 52 cohorts he possessed in the camp, he armed 36, which at night crossed the Oglio and penetrated the Cremonese countryside. Later, Piccinino himself crossed the river with an army consisting of 5,000 infantrymen, 1,000 archers, and 500 riflemen, slingers, and other artillerymen. The assault proved unsuccessful and the Venetians were pushed back across the river, finding themselves forced to return to Pontevico.
In August, from Pontevico (which had become his base for military expeditions) Jacopo Piccinino moved to defend Ghedi, to no avail as it was conquered by Milanese forces.
In the fall, Francesco Sforza received reinforcements from Tuscany and France, rejoining his ally René of Anjou. In all, the army of the Franco-Milanese encamped at Seniga rose to a total of about twenty thousand infantrymen and three thousand five hundred cavalrymen. Armed with an overwhelming numerical superiority, the men led by the Duke and Count of Anjou quickly encircled and, on October 16, besieged Pontevico. The castle fell into Franco-Milanese hands at 10 p.m. on October 19, after more than three days and two nights of siege. The occupiers (especially the Transalpines) were particularly ruthless toward the vanquished: having carried out looting, marked by brutal cruelty against civilians, the town, including the castle, was burned and razed to the ground.