Casatico
Casatico: a historical locality in Lombardy
Hello everyone! Today I will talk about Casatico, a small geographical hamlet located in the municipality of Marcaria, in the province of Mantua. This locality boasts a long history, dating back to the 11th century. In this article, I will tell you about the history of Casatico and all the places of interest to visit in this locality.
History of Casatico
Casatico was part of the possessions of the Obertenghi family since the 11th century. In 1033, the locality was donated to the Monastery of Santa Maria Assunta in Parma by Marchessa Adalberto II Pallavicino and his wife Adelaide, along with the entire court of Marcaria of which it was a part. The monastic orders held the property until the suppression of the monastery in the second half of the 18th century. During this period, the property passed to the rulers of Mantua (Bonacolsi and Gonzaga) and, from 1445, to the Castiglione family. This family is known to have had illustrious members, including Count Baldassarre Castiglione, friend of the Marquis of Mantua Ludovico III Gonzaga and grandfather of his most famous Baldassarre Castiglione, author of The Book of the Courtier.
Monuments and places of interest
Religious architectures
The locality of Casatico is enriched by several religious architectures, among which stands out the Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This church was commissioned by the Castiglioni family to replace the existing one. It dates back to 1730 and was designed by the architect Antonio Soratini from Lonato del Garda. The interiors of the church were entirely decorated by the Margoni brothers from Asola in the 1930s. On the façade of the church, there was a fresco depicting the Annunciation, however, it is currently missing.
Another interesting religious architecture is the Oratory of the Madonna del Pilar, located about 3 km from Casatico. This oratory was built by the Castiglioni family and is characterized by a singular triangular base bell tower.
Civil architectures
One of the most fascinating civil architectures of Casatico is the Corte Castiglioni. This building was built in the 15th century and redesigned in the 16th and 18th centuries. The Corte Castiglioni consists of a series of courtyards that lead to the manor house, flanked by a star-shaped tower, which is said to have been designed by Giulio Romano.
Conclusions
Here we come to the end of this article on Casatico! I hope you have enjoyed the history of this locality and that you were intrigued to visit its monuments and places of interest. If you are in the Mantua area, Casatico is definitely a must-visit!
