Castello Conti Calepio

Castelletto very characteristic, the guide he explained seemed a courtier of other times. Very interesting visit to modest admission price that still goes to help the foundation that deals with disadvantaged people

Sunday afternoon we carried out the guided tour of this beautiful castle which from the small, but suggestive village of Calepio dominates the slow pace of the underlying Oglio river which, as an emissary from the nearby Lake Iseo, heads towards the Po. The guided tour lasts about a now and congratulations to the boy who performed the role of guide in a truly excellent way, demonstrating competence, preparation and passion, while illustrating the history of the castle and the family of the Calepio Counts who owned it, as well as the main features both of the external architecture and everything (from the decorations, to the furniture, from the objects to the documents) is present inside the halls of the castle.

To visit both the small well-kept and tidy village and the Castle rich in history from where you can admire a beautiful panorama.

We visited this manor in the evening, after a storm that had created some discomfort but that the expert guide was able to reconcile brilliantly. This castle has medieval origins, built at the behest of Count Trussardo Calepio in the fifteenth century (previously there was an older fortress). Today it is quite distorted from its original functions, that is, for what it was born (defensive fortification). Over time it was transformed into a noble residence and then into an orphanage. It is run by a foundation that deals with disabilities and hosts a nursery school. It is not possible to photograph the internal master rooms (the ones that once belonged to the counts), but I assure you that they preserve frescoes of good taste, various original furniture (from the seventeenth century) and unexpected gems, such as the sixteenth century of the great lexicographer Calepino (Giacomo Calepio, natural son of Count Trussardo, first feudal lord of Val Calepio and of the castle). Calepino was born around 1435 and became a hermit friar with the name of Ambrogio. He is known to scholars for having written the fundamental "Dictionarium latinum", published in 1502 and in definitive form in 1509, and was also famous outside Italy. Next to the precious incunabulum you can see the slippers and the little games of the orphans who lived here, after the death of the last countess, as the castle was transformed into an orphanage (from the nineteenth century until about 1970) at the behest of the counts. The route is articulated and begins outside with the historical and architectural events of the castle, overlooking the amazing overhang of the Oglio Valley on one side and on one of the oldest buildings in the town, incorporated into the parish church, on the other. . Then you enter and enter the eighteenth-century Gentile Chapel with the relics of S. Celestino; go up to the keep where, from the battlements, you can enjoy a splendid 360 degree panorama. The internal path winds between echoes of the past and the present, in continuous succession. The surprise of finding the traces of a Gothic church in the premises of the old kitchens of the institute was great! But below, going down a staircase, there is something even more ancient ... Free parking at the beginning of the village, then a beautiful walk of a few hundred meters through the streets with a medieval flavor. Admission upon reservation for a fee, including guide. Duration about two hours, interesting experience!

It was very pleasant to visit this castle. The guide was very knowledgeable and excellently explained everything. This Bergamo wealth is worth visiting

Castello conti castelli di Caleppio is a beautiful castle surrounded by a moat. There is parking and a playground for younger children. From that place it is possible to see a breathtaking view over the town of Caleppio castles. Then there is also a small but important sign with the whole history of the castle written in Italian and English

A beautiful village, Calepio is also beautiful, the guy I met in the square is beautiful and the cobblestones you find on the ground are also beautiful. Arriving at the castle, what to say, if not that it is beautiful, you can see other beauty scattered around the village, from the church, to the square, to the park, to the tunnel that leads directly to Saint-Tropez. If you turn left and right in a short time and repeat the gesture compulsively several times, you can have a panoramic view of the place, as if you were taking a panoramic photo. For the rest, Massimooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo arrived and opened the doors of the castle to us in great secrecy and allowed us to be protagonists of our time and the Middle Ages at the same time!