Torre Viscontea

“At the time the events that we are about to relate occurred, that village, already sizeable, was also a castle and it therefore had the honour of accommodating a commander, and the advantage of having a permanent garrison of Spanish soldiers… ”

A. Manzoni, I promessi sposi (The Betrothed)

The Torre Viscontea in Piazza XX Settembre was the main tower of the castle erected by Azzone Visconti in the 14^th century. The castle was guarded in the seventeenth century by the Spanish garrison mentioned by Alessandro Manzoni and the quarters of the guardhouse and a number of stone cannon balls can still be seen today. 

Until 1782, the village of Lecco was completely fortified, surrounded by walls in an unusual triangular shape. In the same year, due to the reforms ordered by the Austrian emperor, Joseph II, the castle and the walls were demolished but the tower remained and, restored in 1816 by Giuseppe Bovara, it was later used as a prison.

After further restoration works in 1932, the Torre Viscontea was assigned to the Municipality of Lecco and converted to one of the city’s civic museums. Now home to temporary exhibitions, it is an important location for those who want to learn about the city’s history and culture.