The Horse Chestnut of Somaglia Castle

The municipality of Somaglia is located in the southern part of the province of Lodi and its municipal territory is bordered by the river Po. The most important monument is undoubtedly the Gavazzi Castle, which with its bulk and position dominates the town and surrounding countryside.

It is an impressive architectural complex that is the result of successive renovations since the Middle Ages. Curiously, it appears today with two distinct styles: on one side there is a 14th-century brick façade, while on the side facing the parish church there are 17th-century plastered walls and a noble villa appearance. Further enhancing the aesthetic value of the place is a magnificent horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum), which has guarded the castle entrance for over a century.

It represents the perfect example of how a monumental tree can be an indispensable landscape element capable of characterising a place. It is truly imposing with its height of 30 metres and a trunk with a circumference of 5.5 metres (diameter 175 cm).

A green monument that is accessible to the public during park opening hours.
 

(Ph. Luca Pernechele)