Off the coast of Cannero Riviera, on a group of rocky islets, stand the evocative Castles of Cannero (or Castles of Malpaga): one of the most photographed and recognisable views of Lake Maggiore.
Medieval strongholds and legends of brigands
The ruins visible today are what remains of fortifications erected over the centuries on these islets. Local tradition links the site to the legend of the Mazzarditi brothers, brigands who, in the 15th century, are said to have used the strongholds as a base for their raids on the lake, before being defeated and seeing the fortifications dismantled. The present ruins partly derive from a later castle commissioned by the Borromeo family on the same islets.
For historical insights into the Castles of Cannero and to plan a visit to Lake Maggiore, the reference point is the Tourist District of Lakes, Mountains and Valleys of Ossola.
How to see them
The castles cannot be visited inside, but they can be admired up close on a boat trip from Cannero Riviera, or simply by walking along the town’s lakeside promenade, which offers one of the finest views of the islands as a whole.
Cannero Riviera, the town opposite the castles
The village of Cannero Riviera, known for its mild climate and citrus groves along the lake, is the ideal starting point for admiring the castles. To find out more about the town and what to see nearby, you can consult the article dedicated to Cannero Riviera.
An excursion to combine with the inland area
As with other destinations on Lake Maggiore, a visit to the Castles of Cannero is also well suited to being combined with an exploration of the Ossola hinterland: the mountain villages and vineyards of the Val d’Ossola are a short distance away, with the opportunity to round off the day with a tasting at a winery.
An iconic image of the lake
The Castles of Cannero, with their dark silhouettes rising from the waters of Lake Maggiore, have over time become one of the most sought-after photographic subjects on the entire Piedmontese shore, especially at sunset, when the warm light accentuates the outline of the ruins against the sky. It is not uncommon to encounter painters and photographers stopping along Cannero’s lakeside promenade precisely to capture this view.
From the “Malpaga Castles” to the pirates of the lake
The fortifications on the islets date back to the 12th century, when they were known as the “Malpaga Castles”. In the 14th century, they were occupied by the five Mazzardi brothers, known as the Mazzarditi, who came from Ronco and were nicknamed “the pirates of the lake”: between 1403 and 1404, they took possession of the village of Cannobio, beginning a period of violence and raids against the populations of the Riviera. In 1414, Filippo Maria Visconti, Duke of Milan, sent an army of 500 men to defeat them: the castle capitulated due to a lack of supplies and was razed to the ground by order of the duke.
The Borromeo family’s Rocca Vitaliana
About thirty years later, the islands were granted by the duke to Count Vitaliano Borromeo. It was Count Lodovico who, to defend himself against Swiss incursions after the Duchy of Milan lost Canton Ticino, had a new fortified stronghold built in 1519 on the ruins of Malpaga Castle, naming it “Vitaliana” in tribute to the Paduan family from which the Borromeo family descended: it is the remains of this second fortification that are still visible today.
Even today, despite the centuries that have passed, the Castles of Cannero retain all their mysterious charm: the ruins, enveloped by spontaneous vegetation that has grown among the ancient walls, continue to stir the imagination of those who observe them from the lakeside promenade, fuelling legends and tales handed down from generation to generation among local residents.
One final curious detail: on hazy days, when the outline of the ruins blends into the mist over the lake, the Castles of Cannero take on an almost ghostly appearance, capable of bringing back, for a moment, the sombre atmosphere of the legends linked to the Mazzarditi.
