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This is a very large and fortified complex located in the town of
Sarmato, in the province of Piacenza. It is situated in the lower Tidone
Valley, not far from both the Tidone River and the great Po River in the
Po Valley.
History. It is presumed that a
fortified village already existed in the year 1216, when the Piacenza
and Milanese militias gathered there on Pentecost day before moving
towards the Pavia fortresses. In fact, this fortress, along with those
of Borgonovo and Castel San Giovanni, served to protect the city of
Piacenza from the numerous and imposing incursions coming mainly from
the Pavese area. It was one of the most important outposts assigned by
the Guelf Piacenza to defend the Val Tidone against enemy incursions,
including those launched by the Ghibelline Pavia. It was first owned by
the Pallastrelli counts, who saw it semi-destroyed in 1270 during a
battle against the Landi di Bardi family.
Around the mid-1300s,
the Lombard Duke Galeazzo Visconti invested Bartolomeo Seccamelica as
lord of the town, who maintained dominion until the advent of Alberto
Scoto or Scotti. Starting from 1410, the new feudal lord of the village
had to face numerous battles against the hated Arcelli family, lords of
the districts of Rocca D'Olgisio, Borgonovo, and Breno. These fights
continued for about twenty years, with the alternation of command
between Sarmato and the two families. During one of these disputes, Duke
Alberto was captured by the rival militia and imprisoned in the Rocca
D'Olgisio. For his release, a ransom of about 10,000 ducats was paid,
divided as follows: "ducati 8000, zachi 9 de veludo, pene 1000 de struzo,
taze 40 de undze (oncie) 8 zascheduna e corsieri 2 de ducati 500".
Once freed, Alberto Scoto asked the Duke of Milan for help, and with
the famous captain Carmagnola, he regained his domains. With the death
of Visconti and the subsequent advent of the Sforza in the Milanese
lands, Scoto sided with Venice. He was thus forced to fight against the
Lombards, who besieged Piacenza; Duke Alberto was one of the most
valiant defenders of the city walls. During his absence from Sarmato,
Scotti left the command of the municipality to his relative Luigi Dal
Verme. In exchange, he plundered the castle and the fief, then sided
with the Milanese and went to fight his cousin. In 1448, after the
hostilities with Milan ended, Alberto Scoto reclaimed Sarmato from the
new feudal lords, but the Sforza waited for the death of Taddeo Dal
Verme before returning the town to the Scotti. On March 5, 1462, due to
a serious illness, Scoto died; he was buried in the family tomb in the
church of San Giovanni, after solemn funerals. There were numerous
descendants of Duke Scotti who succeeded him in command of the castle of
Sarmato; many of them distinguished themselves as knights and warriors
alongside the Farnese dukes in the numerous wars fought by them
throughout Europe; others became attendants of various Popes.
Philosophers and doctors were also part of this family.
The last
descendant of the Scotti of Sarmato was Duke Pietro, who, having no
heirs, held the castle until his death in 1863. The manor was then
purchased by the Zanardi Landi counts, who still partly own it today.
Another part of the medieval building is the town hall. The castle is
located to the north, on the ancient bed of the Po River, and has a
U-shape. Its walls have been preserved quite well, were surrounded by a
moat, and access to its interior was through a powerful drawbridge. The
park garden that surrounds it is also very beautiful. It is worth
remembering that in October 1922, King Constantine I of Greece stayed in
the castle, as a guest of Paola di Ostheim, Princess of Saxony-Weimar.
The village. The entirely brick-built complex is
surrounded by walls, still quite evident although somewhat deteriorated
over time, which were surrounded by a moat. They enclose a small
rectangular village, divided by two perpendicular streets, with houses,
three churches, the castle, and the fortress.
The castle complex
is enclosed within a quadrangular perimeter of walls, mostly
well-preserved, along with two corner towers and an imposing southern
entrance consisting of a merlato ravelin with a carriage gate and a
postern, both already equipped with a drawbridge; double side embrasures
allowed for defense. Two other fortified entrances are preserved on the
eastern and western sides, the former of which is now the town hall. The
northern side is occupied by a small fortress, which served to repel
attacks from the Po River. Inside, there are large halls, partly vaulted
and partly coffered, small parlors, bedrooms, all furnished with antique
furniture. The history and legend of San Rocco, San Gottardo
Pallastrelli, and San Giacomo di Compostela are intertwined in this
complex; the statue of the latter is preserved in the fortified village
for the devotions of the Romei who stopped here along the pilgrimage to
Compostela. In the Middle Ages, Sarmato was an important transit point
on the Via Francigena. It remains a significant testimony to the
centuries-old hospitality of the Sarmatesi, who chose a pilgrim saint as
their patron, recalling Gottardo, who became a pilgrim, and San Giacomo
apostle, who attracted millions of pilgrims to Compostela and is
venerated with the iconography of a traveler.
See also:
•
Italy section home page
• Douglas
Scotti of Sarmato
•
Scotti Douglas
and the Condottieri di Ventura
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