Lodi Castle

Lodi Castle, locally more commonly known as Castello Visconteo di Lodi, lies in the city of the same name, in the Lodi province in the Lombardy region in Italy.

Lodi Castle was founded in the 2nd half of the 12th century by Frederick Barbarossa, the Holy Roman Emperor. It was built near a gate in the city walls which was deemed to be the most vulnerable. Located about 30 kilometers south of Milan, the castle was used by imperial forces during their attacks on Milan.

After first having been altered by Napoleone della Torre, Lord of Milan in the 13th century, the castle came into the possession of Bernabò Visconti, Lord of Milan, during the 14th century. He had the castle rebuilt between 1355 and 1370. His family member Filippo Maria Visconti, Duke of Milan, strengthened the castle in 1416. Francesco I Sforza, Duke of Milan, added the remaining round tower in 1456.

Between the 16th and 18th century Lodi Castle was modernized to adapt it to the use of firearms. During the 18th century, when Lodi was governed by the Austrians under Joseph II, the Holy Roman Emperor, the castle was largely demolished and by the start of the 19th century it had lost its appearance and function of a castle.

The remaining round tower, now called 'Il Torrione' was raised in 1906 to contain the municipal water tank. During the 1950s the entrance gate of the castle, called the 'Imperial Gate', was partly rebuilt with the use of original bricks.

Lodi Castle is now the seat of the local Police Headquarters and the tower is still used as a water tower, so it can not be visited and only be viewed from the outside.

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