Castles, historic palaces, fortresses, and ancient villages return to the foreground of Lombard autumn with the Days of Castles, Palaces and Medieval Villages of the Lombard plain. The initiative, promoted by the association Pianura da scoprire, offers again in 2026 a route that uncovers a distributed historical and architectural heritage, often distant from the main tourist circuits.
The first appointment is set for Sunday, September 6, followed by two more days on October 4 and November 1. There are 23 locations involved in the provinces of Bergamo, Brescia, Cremona, and Milan, with a program that blends the chance to visit historical places that are typically less accessible with cultural activities, family-friendly initiatives, nature excursions, and occasions to discover the region’s gastronomic traditions.
Twenty-three localities among castles, palaces and villages
The circuit threads a portion of Lombardy profoundly marked by the history of its borders. For centuries the plains were, in fact, a crossroads and meeting place for different political, cultural, and commercial realities. The architectural testimonies still present tell precisely this long history, made up of fortifications, settlements, noble families, captains of fortune, and military campaigns.
The territory was initially drawn into disputes between the city of Bergamo and the municipalities of Cremona, Brescia, and Milan and, later, by the clash between the Duchy of Milan and the Republic of Venice: thus, an intricate defensive system developed, consisting of castles, fortresses, watchtowers, walls, and moats.
Various locales preserve tales linked to battles and leaders, but also traditions, old crafts, legends, anecdotes, and memories of the communities that still inhabit these territories today.
Besides openings, there are planned guided tours and thematic paths, as well as reenactments, workshops, exhibitions, concerts, and markets.
The province of Brescia participates in the circuit with several emblematic plains locations, among which the historic village of Borgo San Giacomo stands out, together with the Castello di Padernello, one of the sites included in the itinerary for the days devoted to rediscovering medieval heritage.
Another stop is the historic village of Orzivecchi, where the visitable heritage includes the ancient Church of the Disciplini and the Pieve of Bigolio.
The Bergamasco Fosso landscape
The history of fortifications is tied to the geographic layout of the area. At the center of this tale lies the so-called “Fosso Bergamasco,” an ancient boundary that linked the Adda, Serio, and Oglio rivers and helped define the territorial balances of the plains for a long time.
Today the same waterways sketch a landscape very different from that of the eras when the territories were characterized by disputes and defensive systems, and along the route one encounters fields, green areas, spring-fed sources, and bodies of water, in an environment where traces of the past coexist with natural elements.
The Castles Passport
To make the initiative even more recognizable, the Castles, Palaces and Medieval Villages Passport returns in 2026 as well, a small booklet that accompanies visitors along the route and on which it is possible to collect a stamp for each locality visited.
There is also a recognition for those who choose to participate more consistently: those who manage to obtain at least 20 stamps may request, at the end of the year, the board game dedicated to Bartolomeo Colleoni.
