Crivelli Castle

It is not known exactly when the castle was built, which is now commonly referred to as "Crivelli."

During the Visconti rule, both the castle itself and the village were fortified by the construction of a new defensive wall, which is still visible in some streets of the town.

In 1450, the Sforza family – who succeeded the Visconti – granted Lomello as a fief to Antonio Crivelli. The new feudal lord was responsible for rebuilding the castle, which had been practically destroyed a few years earlier by Facino Cane. He rebuilt it as a fortress, emphasizing its purely defensive function. A notable member of the Crivelli family was undoubtedly Cardinal Alessandro, great-grandson of Antonio. A great lover of the arts, in 1549 he commissioned the restoration of the noble Lomellina residence: he had the loggia overlooking the courtyard built, the grand staircase leading to the upper floor, and most notably, he had all the rooms inside the manor decorated with sacred and profane fresco cycles.

A small and lesser-known gem of Mannerist art in Lombardy, it deserves greater recognition for its remarkable decorative heritage.

The Crivelli family maintained control over the Lomello fief until the abolition of the county, despite the French, Spanish, and ultimately Savoyard dominations.

What is a must-see?

• The Zodiac Room (12 lunettes depicting the cycle of the months and the vaulted ceiling of the zodiac), around 1560.
• The Saint Catherine of Alexandria Room (10 lunettes depicting the life of the saint and the vaulted ceiling of the Trinity), around 1560.
• A Roman mosaic floor from the 2nd century AD.

(Fonte: https://www.portamialomello.it)