Erected in a strategic position, the Masegra Castle is the only military structure in Sondrio of medieval origin to have reached modern times intact and is still in use, although over the centuries its function has changed.
Originally a medieval castle, the seat of the feudal lords known as the Capitanei, rulers of Sondrio, it was damaged and rebuilt many times, especially in the thirteen and fourteenth centuries. In the 15th and 16th century it served as the elegant seat of the Beccaria family, heirs to the Capitanei. Towards the end of the century, it was ceded to the powerful Grison clan of the Salis Soglio, who, following the grievous and sanguinary events of the two decades that opened with the so-called “Holy Slaughter”, turned it into a flourishing agricultural estate. It was seized and returned to its military function as a garrison with the territory’s annexation by Napoleon and finally, after World War II, it became a military post.
Today, the castle complex is owned by the municipality and it is the seat of the CAST Museum which tells the mountain and especially stories of climbing and mountaineering.
You can reach the Masegra Castle through a walk of 15-20 minutes from Piazza Quadrivio following Via Scarpatetti, the old quarter of the city among typical rural houses, with wooden stairs and landings, stone “involts”, supports for oil lamps and stone benches.
As alternative, you can reach the castle by car following the road sign to Ponchiera from via Lungo Mallero Diaz (please note: via Scarpatetti is a traffic-restricted zone)
ADRESS: Via De' Capitani di Masegra - Sondrio
