The castle of Momeliano
The Castle of Momeliano is cited for the first time in the Tavola Traiana and referred to as a castle of the X century belonging to the Mensa Vescovile of Piacenza. Built at an altitude of about 340 meters above sea level on the hills dominating Val Luretta, in an area whose origins date back to the Romans as testified by numerous archaeological findings.
The castle was contended by various noble families in the past and re-built after damages inflicted in 1234 by Guglielmo Landi. Today it is privately owned.
Horseshoe-shaped with four massive towers, one round and the other three square , in the past the castle was surrounded by a moat and traces of the draw-bridge can still be seen at the entrance. The Ghibelline battlements are closed and were once crossed by a narrow corridor.
The castle is completely surrounded by a park derived from the once existing moat. The” roof gardens” run along the east side of the castle and date to the XVIII Century when the moat was eliminated and an entrance staircase took the place of the draw-bridge.
The LURETTA WINERY is close to the castle and its selected wines are aged in the cellars of the castle.
A very important natural oasis lies north of the castle, close to the former military gun powder deposit of Rio Gandore, built in the 30’s and abandoned for over twenty years. Autochthonous plants have grown and have naturally repopulated the surrounding area.
Sources:
“Piacenza e la sua provincia” di Leonardo Cafferini, Nuova Litoeffe, Castelvetro Piacentino; 2005
Picture: Comune di Gazzola
