In Lardirago, there is a complex consisting of three structures: the ricetto, the castle, and the Cortegrande farm. The oldest structures are the first two, dating back to the 14th century, while the third dates from the 16th-17th centuries.

From the ricetto, which is equipped with a ravelin and a tower, one can access the garden and the castle. The castle is an imposing quadrangular building with a porticoed courtyard featuring arches decorated in terracotta, a square tower topped with an unusual gothic corbelled parapet, and numerous elements typical of Visconti architecture.

The oldest part of the castle is the Romanesque chapel of San Gervasio (dating back to around the year 1000), located on the ground floor of the tower. The place of worship was later covered in the late 14th century and raised to form part of the tower. Just before that, a terracotta portal was added. Over the centuries, the castle served various purposes: defense, an aristocratic residence, and a secured storage for crops. Originally belonging to the Abbey of San Pietro in Ciel d'Oro, in 1569, Pope Ghislieri transferred Lardirago and its revenues to the College he had recently founded in Pavia. Since then, the castle has been owned by the College and is used for cultural activities.

Segreteria Castello di Lardirago

c/o Amministrazione Collegio Ghislieri
Piazza Ghislieri 4 – 27100 Pavia, Italia
Telefono: +39 0382 3786253 info@castellodilardirago.it
www.castellodilardirago.it