TERRE BORROMEO
Rocca di Angera
A fairy-tale experience among historic rooms, secret passages, and a timeless garden.
DISCOVER ROCCA DI ANGERA
The castle where time stopped
The Rocca di Angera is a place of timeless charm that rises between the Lombard shore of Lago Maggiore and the sky. The perimeter walls are characterised by swallow-tailed battlements that make it recognisable from a distance, as you climb towards the rocky cliff it sits on in a panoramic position. Today the castle contains historic rooms, towers and romantic courtyards, a museum and a garden in the style of the period, but above all it is a rare example of a perfectly preserved medieval fortress.
The first records of the existence of the Rocca date back to 1066, when it was owned by the archbishops of Milan. The turning point came in 1277 with the battle of Desio and the Visconti family’s claim over the Della Torre, celebrated in the notable frescoes of the Sala di Giustizia [Hall of Justice] inside the castle. The Viscontis carried out important expansion and decoration works. It was Vitaliano I Borromeo who purchased the property in 1449 for the sum of 12,800 imperial lire and made it his residence. Together with the Rocca di Arona, on the opposite side of the lake, the fortress constituted one of the cornerstones of the Lombard defensive system against the incursions of Swiss and Imperial troops. After a long dispute with the Sforza, on the threshold of 1500 the Borromeo family became its permanent owners through to the present day.
The Historic Rooms
The Rocca di Angera is a place of timeless charm that rises between the Lombard shore of Lago Maggiore and the sky.
The Medieval Garden
The garden of the Rocca di Angera is a two-thousand-square-metre space, enclosed between the vineyard and the crenellated walls overlooking the lake.
The Museum of Dolls and Toys
The history of childhood throughout all the eras from the eighteenth century to the present day is preserved here, in the Doll and Toy Museum of the Rocca di Angera.
ROCCA DI ANGERA
From the castle gate to the fascinating world of the medieval era. Entering the Rocca di Angera is like taking a journey back in time, through the historic rooms, decorated with immense canvases and frescoes in bright colours, passing through courtyards and porticos that connect the complex’s various buildings. And realising that you only need to cross a threshold to enter a fantastic world, the Doll and Toy Museum. Outside, the medieval garden is a peaceful place where you can rediscover the myriad ways plants were used in the past. From the top of the towers or at the level of the Belvedere, countless panoramic lookouts offer a breath-taking view of the lake. And there is nothing better than enjoying it while comfortably seated at the tables on the terrace, in the shade of the pergola, living in the moment or imagining a fabulous event or ceremony in this dream setting.
