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28-570: The complex, which is part of the Castles of the Duchy of Parma, Piacenza and Pontremoli Association , is composed of two buildings with completely different history, use and appearance: the Renaissance fortress and the 18th century palace. The origins of the fortified complex date back to the 13th century at the behest of Giovanni Scotti, who made Agazzano the center of his family's holdings. In

56-560: A dowry to her husband, Count Girolamo Anguissola di Podenzano, who, as a result, decided to add the surname Scotti to his own surname. The complex remained in the Anguissola-Scotti family until the 20th century when, after the marriage of the last heir Luisa Anguissola-Scotti to the general Ferrante Vincenzo Gonzaga , a member of the ramo di Vescovato of the Gonzaga family. The Scotti di Agazzano had been related to him since

84-405: A masonry entrance. A second ravelin was placed on the opposite facade in the direction of the body called the castle, later replaced during the 18th century by the villa. The inner courtyard, equipped with a well of hexagonal shape placed in a edicola , has on three sides out of four a loggia with a cross vault accessed from the entrance via two flights of stairs. The fourth side, built towards

112-427: Is a collection of ceramics of different production, including antique Savona, Vecchia Lodi and Japanese, as well as some Maissen and Sèvres porcelain. In the same room, there is also a billiard table equipped with a scoreboard dating back to the seventeenth century. The two parts of the complex are surrounded by a garden designed by the botanist Luigi Villoresi in the 18th century, like the villa. It stands where there

140-663: The Ghibelline Piacentine family of the Anguissola . The Scotti were successful and had affiliations with merchants and bankers throughout Europe from Portugal to Flanders. Among the most prominent members of the family, Alberto Scotti became signore (Lord) of Piacenza roughly during 1280–1290. In 1302, he was one of the leaders of an alliance that exiled the Visconti Family from Milan, but continued conflicts led to his exile from Piacenza in 1304. Although

168-656: The Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund , who also allowed them to name themselves the name of Scotti Douglas . In the church of San Giovanni in Canale, Piacenza , is a burial monument of Scotti used since the 14th century. In 1475, Giovanni Maria Scotti, Count of Vigoleno, married Aloisia Gonzaga, daughter of Francesco I Gonzaga-Novellara. Other prominent members of the family include: Ferrante Vincenzo Gonzaga Ferrante Vincenzo Gonzaga , Marquess of Vescovato (6 March 1889 – 8 September 1943)

196-653: The 14th century there was an increase in the power of the Scotti family, which had built its fortune on mercantile trades, through a company, the Societas Scotorum that reached the main marketplaces of Europe and the Near and Middle East from Genoa . The increase in family power allowed the parallel increase in the importance of the center of Agazzano, the small capital of the fiefdom, which never became an important center politically due to its decentralized location. At

224-421: The 15th century, and the complex passed to their son Corrado. The appearance of the fortress dates back to 1475, when it was rebuilt after a fire had heavily damaged it. It presents a combination of elements belonging to a typically medieval defensive military architecture with elements with distinct Renaissance residential characteristics. Originally surrounded by a moat following eighteenth-century modifications,

252-538: The Armistice General Gonzaga was approached in Buccoli, a hamlet of Eboli , by a German detachment commanded by Major von Alvensleben, who ordered him to surrender. Gonzaga refused to comply, shouting to his men: "A Gonzaga never surrenders"; having drawn his gun, he was immediately killed with a burst of submachine gun . Major von Alvensleben expressed admiration for Gonzaga's courage; the general

280-584: The Douglas Clan came from Scotland to fight the under Charlemagne and against the Lombards . After his service, he putatively settled in Piacenza . However little documentation affirms this legend. The first documentation of a Scotti is of Rainaldo in 1184 serving as a consul of the collegio dei mercanti (guild of merchants). The Guelph -leaning Scotti family was often in conflict or competition with

308-606: The Duke of Milan Filippo Maria Visconti and assigned to Bartolomeo and Filippo Arcelli , who had accused the Scotti family of being part of an anti-Visconti rebellion, strongly opposed by the Arcelli family, who held several properties in the nearby val Tidone . Three years later, the Scotti brothers succeeded in proving their innocence of the charges brought by the Arcelli family by regaining their fiefs. However, these did not include

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336-834: The Vodice, count of Villanova  [ it ] and Cassolnovo , lord of Vescovato and Venetian patrician . After graduating in engineering at the University of Turin , Gonzaga decided to pursue a military career; he participated as a junior officer in the Italo-Turkish War , fighting in Libya , and in the First World War. In 1926 he was assigned to the Command of the Rome Army Corps. In 1936, with

364-690: The artillery of the XXV Army Corps in Elbasan , Albania , until November, after which he was attached to the Ministry of War for a few months. On 10 February 1943, he was given command of the 222nd Coastal Division , stationed in the Salerno area, a severely understaffed unit whose personnel largely consisted of ill-trained and ill-equipped territorial troops. After the Armistice of Cassibile

392-418: The beginning of the century Giovanni's son, Alberto Scotti , who was also able to become lord of Piacenza and, for a short time, Milan , had the construction work completed. In September 1412, the castle, along with several other properties owned by the Scotti family including the castle of Sarmato and the fiefdom of Castel San Giovanni , was confiscated from brothers Alberto Pietro and Giovanni Scotti by

420-510: The castle of Agazzano, which had become part of the Figliagaddi family's property. It was repurchased by Count Alberto Scotti in July 1431. The actual reconstruction of the complex dates back to 1475, when the Scotti family, after a fire had severely damaged the medieval castle, initiated the construction of a complex for defensive purposes consisting of two adjoining buildings: the castle and

448-548: The cellars of the old castle located below the villa. The structures and gardens are available for cultural and private events. Artocchini . Scotti (family) The Scotti is an aristocratic family centered around Piacenza in Northern Italy . The family is also known as also known as Douglas Scotti for claiming descendancy from the Scottish Clan Douglas . Legne holds that a knight from

476-455: The division of what he looted. After the killing, the corpse was thrown by Visconti into the moat of the castle, but it was never found again. The castle changed owner several times between the Scotti and Anguissola families until the Scotti family, which had been banished from the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza in 1606 managed to obtain a pardon regaining possession of the castle as a result of

504-462: The end of the Renaissance, housed the living quarters of the castle's military garrison and has lounges with fireplaces and kitchens in excellent condition. A staircase located in the courtyard leads to a passageway that, legend has it, would allow one to reach the castle of Lisignano , located on the other bank of the Luretta River in the territory of the municipality of Gazzola . Access to

532-400: The fortress is surrounded by a garden. It has a rectangular structure bordered by scarped walls decorated with a transverse marcapiano . Of the four round corner towers originally present, only the two overlooking the entrance facade remain. Access to the fortress is allowed through a ravelin that was equipped with a drawbridge (its stonework remains visible), which was later replaced by

560-508: The fortress. The works brought the appearance of the complex towards a purely Renaissance style, attentive to the dictates of aesthetics, softening the typically military characters. In this period, the Scotti family joined the Gonzaga family through the marriage of the Count of Vigoleno Giovanni Maria Scotti with Luigia Gonzaga of Novellara , as evidenced by the presence within the complex of

588-466: The mediation activities carried out by Queen Anne of France ,. In 1652 Gaspare Scotti also managed to obtain the title of count of Agazzano. During the 18th century, a villa was built on the ruins of the castle that flanked the fortress designed with exclusively residential functions. The complex remained among the Scotti's family possessions until 1741, after the death of the last heir Ranuccio. It passed to his eldest daughter Margherita, who brought it as

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616-640: The rank of colonel , he commanded the 1st Artillery Regiment "Cacciatori delle Alpi" in Foligno ; from December 1938 to June 1940 he was chief of staff of the 33rd Infantry Division Acqui . After Italy's entry into the Second World War he commanded the artillery of the XIII Army Corps in Cagliari , being promoted to brigadier general on 1 July 1940. In March 1942 he was given command of

644-584: The shifting fortunes had him return to control of Piacenza for periods during the following two decades, in 1317 he was captured and died in Crema in 1318. Alberto's son Francesco was able to regain Piacenza in 1335, but for less than a year, when he was expelled by the Visconti family . In 1414, the heirs of Giacomo Scotti were granted the title to the counties of Castell'Arquato , Fiorenzuola , and Vigoleno by

672-514: The symbols of both houses. In 1529, the castle was conquered by Pier Maria Scotti , known as the Buso, who had to resort to the use of several pieces of artillery to conquer the fort, owned by Count Giuseppe Scotti. Following the conquest Pier Maria plundered the area, looting various materials. However, Scotti was killed shortly afterwards by Astorre Visconti, a Milanese outsider who had formed an alliance with him. He felt betrayed by Pier Maria during

700-400: The villa is made through a French style gate, typical of the 18th century, which allows access to a U-shaped courtyard equipped with porch on three out of four sides, while the facade has a neoclassical architecture style. The interior features a series of landscape-decorated halls on the ground floor equipped with furniture dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries. Inside the dining room

728-642: Was an Italian general during World War II . Prince Ferrante Vincenzo Gonzaga was born in 1889, the only son of Prince Maurizio Ferrante Gonzaga , Marquess of Vescovato, general in the Royal Italian Army during the First World War and awarded the victory title of Marquis of the Vodice in 1932. At the death of his father in 1938, Gonzaga inherited the titles of Prince of the Holy Roman Empire , Marquess of Vescovato, marquess of

756-406: Was announced on 8 September 1943, German forces launched Operation Achse for the occupation of Italy and the disarmament of all Italian units. General Gonzaga, who had been preparing for such an instance, immediately issued orders to his subordinates instructing them to refuse German requests to hand over their weapons, and to regroup and prepare for resistance. On the same day of the proclamation of

784-433: Was originally a vineyard and moat surrounding the outside of the fortress. In the garden there is a park-like part formed by various ancient tree species, and another garden part, equipped with statues and a fountain in which the influence of French architecture of the time is clear. Of the vineyard initially present, a portion remains about 3 hectares wide, which is used for the production of wines that are later on aged inside

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