Castles of Cannero
The Castles of Cannero are one of the places of interest of Lake Maggiore that should not be missed.
Although located in the territory of the municipality of Cannobio, the Castles of Cannero are three rocky islets located exactly in front of the municipality of Cannero Riviera, in the northern part of Lake Maggiore, on the Piedmontese shore. On two of them are the ruins of ancient fortifications that surface on the waters of the lake giving almost the impression of floating not far from the shore.
They were built between the eleventh and twelfth century by five brothers of the Mazzardi family of Ronco nicknamed "Mazzarditi" or "brothers of Malpaga", known for their deeds brigantesche: they, in 1404, took possession of the village of Cannobio, imposing heavy taxes on the local population and demanding for themselves the construction of a fortress. The difficult conditions in which the Duchy of Milan at the end of the fourteenth century did not allow an effective control over local tyrannies so the "Mazzarditi" managed for several years to retain power on the coast, suffocating in blood any opposition.
But in 1414, the new Duke of Milan Filippo Maria Visconti, besieged the fortress, forcing the bandits to surrender: the castle was razed to the ground and in its place the Borromeo, to whom the dominion of these islands was ceded, In 1519 they built a fortified fortress for defensive purposes called "Vitaliana".
In the eighteenth century, after the death of Count Lodovico, the castles were abandoned and slowly collapsed, although still owned by Borromeo.
Unfortunately, they cannot be visited because of the degradation and lack of security they face today. However, the ruins are one of the most picturesque glimpses of Lake Maggiore, colonized by different species of waterfowl: swan, gull, gull major, nesting sheltered in inaccessible ravines.
In recent years, there have been several advanced assumptions to restructure the Vitaliana fortress.
In memory of the ancient events of the Castles of Cannero is handed down a legend that wants that the "Mazzarditi", after the defeat, were thrown into the waters of Lake Maggiore with a stone around their neck and perished so drowned (but history tells us that they were simply banished from the country for fifteen years, after which they were readmitted to their native village).
The "Mazzarditi" are however remembered for their reputation as raiders: it seems that the brigands, in order not to deliver their coffers full of riches to the duke Filippo Maria Visconti after their defeat, preferred to throw them in the waters of Lake Maggiore, that even today could conceal their riches in depth. So it is said that on days when the fog is particularly thick on the lake, it is possible to see a ghost ship sailing around the castle reclaiming the ancient sunken treasure of the "Mazzarditi": legend or reality?
