Description of the attraction
Castle Castello dei Suardo stands at the foot of a hill in the heart of the town of Bianzano in the province of Bergamo and overlooks the Val Cavallina. It was never an aristocratic residence, but was used as a storehouse for food, as well as a refuge for wanderers, merchants and all kinds of businessmen. This is evidenced by the structure of the castle - its second and third floors, both very modest, only four vaulted windows with two sashes and long combined rooms from the side of the valley.
The whole complex of Castello dei Suardo is fortified with powerful walls of an ideal rectangular shape, the corners of which are oriented to the cardinal points. A 25-meter tower rises above the castle, placed in the center at the entrance - it is made of square stones brought from the neighboring mountains, and still amazes with its majesty. By the way, the material from which the tower is built is frost-resistant.
The castle building itself is divided into two parts by light brown stone from the Sarnico area: the lower one is faced with huge stone blocks. The portal is made in the Gothic style - with a pointed arch and the family coat of arms above it. It is protected by a double line of walls. Nearby, there is a rampart and a drawbridge with two guard donjons. The donjons were intended to protect the castle from attack from the Val Cavallina valley. On one of the corners of Castello dei Suardo, you can still see elements of the Ghibelline wall with loopholes.
The hall of the castle, paved with pebbles, is notable for the cylindrical vault, which is painted in light colors by the hand of the master. It features playing cupids, flower garlands typical of the 13-14th century style, and allegorical depictions of the four virtues. The family coat of arms of the Suardo family, placed above the main entrance to the castle, depicts a ferocious lion and an eagle with prey in its claws.
Castello dei Suardo is notable for its good state of preservation for a structure erected in the 13-14th centuries. In summer, a historical festival is held in the town of Bianzano, during which all courtyards, balconies and streets are decorated with flowers, and characters dressed in old costumes wander around, returning tourists to the distant past.
