Ruins of the Serravalle Castel

North of the village of Semione stand the ruins of Serravalle Castle, first mentioned in 1224. Its origins date back to the time of the Battle of Legnano (1176).

The earliest signs of settlement on the site go back to the late 9th century. A first castle was destroyed by the Milanese around 1176–1180, following Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa’s defeat at Legnano by the Lombard League. The current castle was built by the Milanese between 1220 and 1230 and was systematically destroyed in 1402.

Between 1928 and 1930, under the supervision of architect Eugen Probst, the main fortress was cleared of rubble. The foundations of the first castle are partially preserved beneath the surface, while the full ground plan of the second is visible, although the upper parts of the structure are missing. The outer courtyard, whose enclosing walls were built around 1350, includes the small Church of Santa Maria del Castello, first mentioned in early 14th-century sources. The current structure dates back to the 16th century.

The toponym “Serravalle” derives from the Lombard term sala/sara, referring to a district with administrative and legal functions.