Castle of Pico

About

The Castle of the Pico (in Italian Castello dei Pico) is a castle in the city center of Mirandola, in the province of Modena, Italy. Famous in Europe for being impregnable, it belonged to the House of Pico della Mirandola, who ruled over the city for four centuries (1311-1711) and which also contributed important pieces of art in the Renaissance period. The castle, which dominates the long Costituente square and Circonvallazione boulevard (built in place of the ancient walls, demolished during the 19th century), was restored in 2006 after many years of neglect, but was then severely damaged by the 2012 Northern Italy earthquakes, which made it unusable again.

The first evidence of the castle's existence dates back to the year 1102, although probably a primitive settlement existed during the Lombards era, around the year 1000.

The castle was located in a strategic position along the Imperial Romea route (which connected Germany to Rome), and it was later expanded to form a large quadrilateral surrounded by a moat.

In 1500 Giovanni Francesco II Pico della Mirandola built the massive keep called il Torrione (the Big Tower), known to be unconquerable; the city was under sieges several times, including the most famous, the siege of 1510-1511 winter by Pope Julius II and the siege of 1551 by Pope Julius III.

The Pico family obtained the title of dukes in 1617 and enriched their castle, until it became one of the most important and sumptuous palaces in the Po Valley : among the most important works of art collected in the wing called la Galleria Nuova (the New Gallery), there were several paintings by the Venetians Jacopo Palma il Giovane e Sante Peranda.

The castle hosted Pope Julius II, Emperor Leopold I, Aldus Manutius, Borso d'Este and Ercole d'Este, Rodolfo Gonzaga, and Emperor Francis I.

After the House of Este took over in 1711, the city of Mirandola began to decay. In 1714, the burning of artillery and gunpowder in the keep (due to lightning) destroyed much of the castle and seriously damaged all the buildings and churches in the city center. Towards the end of the 18th century, the Dukes of Modena destroyed many other parts of the castle.

On 24 February 1867 the Italian government established that the urban belt of the city of Mirandola ceased to be considered as a fortified work, thus ceasing to be subject to military servitude the land adjacent to the works themselves.

At the beginning of the 20th century, around the 1930s, the city council attempted to rebuild the ancient keep of the castle (destroyed by fire in 1714), creating a massive neo-Gothic tower overlooking on the main square. The modern tower is characterized by dovetail merlons, typical of the pro-Imperial faction of the Ghibellines.

After the Second World War the castle was inhabited by 52 families (about 200 people), while the lounges were used for parties and carnivals. After years of absolute neglect and degradation, the castle was restored and reopened to the public in 2006, with a new Civic Museum and a cultural center, including an auditorium and other exhibition spaces.

Due to the serious damage suffered after the 2012 Emilia earthquake (estimated at about 10 million euros only for the municipal property, the castle has become unpracticable and closed to tourists, despite the urgent security works. After Minister of Cultural Heritage and Tourism Massimo Bray promised the return of the historical-artistic-cultural heritage of Mirandola, in April 2016, the city council approved a first recovery plan, with an estimated expenditure of about 4 million euros funded by the Emilia-Romagna region.

The damage to the twentieth century part amounts to about 600,000 euros, while only the safety had cost 400,000 euros.

All the collections of ancient cartographic maps and gold coins were temporarily transferred to the bank vault of the Unicredit in Modena, while all the paintings are temporarily housed in the Ducal Palace of Sassuolo.

The first evidence of the castle's existence dates back to the year 1102, although probably a primitive settlement existed during the Lombards era, around the year 1000.

The castle was located in a strategic position along the Imperial Romea route (which connected Germany to Rome), and it was later expanded to form a large quadrilateral surrounded by a moat.

In 1500 Giovanni Francesco II Pico della Mirandola built the massive keep called il Torrione (the Big Tower), known to be unconquerable; the city was under sieges several times, including the most famous, the siege of 1510-1511 winter by Pope Julius II and the siege of 1551 by Pope Julius III.

The Pico family obtained the title of dukes in 1617 and enriched their castle, until it became one of the most important and sumptuous palaces in the Po Valley : among the most important works of art collected in the wing called la Galleria Nuova (the New Gallery), there were several paintings by the Venetians Jacopo Palma il Giovane e Sante Peranda.

The castle hosted Pope Julius II, Emperor Leopold I, Aldus Manutius, Borso d'Este and Ercole d'Este, Rodolfo Gonzaga, and Emperor Francis I.

After the House of Este took over in 1711, the city of Mirandola began to decay. In 1714, the burning of artillery and gunpowder in the keep (due to lightning) destroyed much of the castle and seriously damaged all the buildings and churches in the city center. Towards the end of the 18th century, the Dukes of Modena destroyed many other parts of the castle.

On 24 February 1867 the Italian government established that the urban belt of the city of Mirandola ceased to be considered as a fortified work, thus ceasing to be subject to military servitude the land adjacent to the works themselves.