History
Not far from the shores of the river Serio there is the castle of Malpaga, that is certainly one of the most exemplary constructions of Lombardy, for the architectural interest, for the historic events that connects to his history and for the calls of the ancient life of court that evoke a big figure of the 400: the chieftain of Bergamo Bartolomeo Colleoni.
After a raid made by Tognotto da Rota that stole the money safeguarded in the building, the castle of Malpaga was abandoned went in ruin.
After a twenty years, in the 1465, Colleoni bought the castle.
On the ruins of the old castle Bartolomeo Colleoni built his mansion that was finished in the 1458, but the works of embellishment continued still for a decade.
It isn't known who was the architect that conducted the works of remodelling.
The Colleoni entertained famous literati with parties, banquets and competitions in his castle.
The Colleoni died in the 1475 at the age of 80 years and his castle and the other possessions that he had have left to the sons.
If you would like to have any more information abaout the historical period common to all castles of the province of Bergamo,please recall the deepening page
.
External structure
The castle is made as a square protected by two boundaries and by two brooks. On the first brook, by now disappeared, there were the mewses and the lodgements of the soldiers; the second, instead, still belts the real castle nowadays.All the construction is realized in boulders alternated with ingots of brickwork.Along all the perimeter of the castle you can notice, on the external façade, the traces of the battlement of the aboriginal fortification, sphered in the taller boundaries of the new construction elevated during the works of remodelling and amplification of the pristine deliberate fortress from the Colleoni.
What interests more the visitors, ,just crossed the threshold of access, are the big paintings on the external wall up and under the portico, commissioned among the 1520 and the 1530 from the nephews of the same Colleoni.
Internal structure
Inside the castle you could admired the frescos admirably preserved that represents really some masterpieces.The frescos into the hall in the ground floor has been, we presume, realized in the first decades of the XVI century for recall the visit of the King Cristiano from Denmark happened in the 1474.
In the upper floor you can find many other of it, among which those of the hall of receipt, told also salon of the daughters of the Colleoni, that are among the most beautiful and they go up again to the half of the XVI century.
In 1955 these frescos has been removed from the walls for discover the paintings that had been formerly realized on those same walls, probably around the XV century.
In the room of the captain there is the Lady with the Child that was the preferred of Colleoni and this painting is arrived at up to us in a demure state of conservation.
If you want an artistic deepening
Curiosity
In the summer of the 1469 three mercenaries of Galeazzo Force entered in the castle, they ignited the stables and they assayed to take possession of the person of the captain, but they had bagged.In the 1472 were discovered two assassins of him Force, Ambrogio Vismara and his son Francesco , they were satisfactory to introduced them in the castle with the deceit. The two people, after a process, they had condemned to death. Particularly terrible was the end of Ambrogio Vismara that came limbed and the shreds of his suspended body, part on the fortress of Malpaga and part on that of Romano.
Tourist Informations
Malpaga is a small but characteristic burgh that locates 12 Km South-East respect to Bergamo.From this last city could be achieved following the S.S. n°. 42 of the Tonale up to Seriate, then taking the S.S. n°. 498 Soncinese, after it around 4 Km meet the deviation for Malpaga.
The castle of Malpaga also deserves already from it a visit but datum that it rises to only 2 Km from that of Cavernago it is advisable pick the occasion for visit both the fortitudes with an only trip.