The medieval castle rised up beside the river

The Visconti castle of S. Giorgio rises on an island created by the fork of Olona river which, downstream, creates a floodplain area for the floods of the river. Since its origin, between the 9th and 10th centuries, it has gone through alternating events, passing from convent to fortress, from noble villa to farm and finally to museum, in close connection with the surrounding agricultural areas and the system of mills of Olona river. 

The Visconti's Saint George Castle springs up on an island originated from a fork the Olona river that gathers when it reaches the valley creating a marsh for the overflows. The area was originallyy surrounded by cultuvated fields and was reachable from a 500-600's bridge formed by a still existing rock arch.
Regular Augustinian Convent with a little church dedicated to Saint George and cultivable lands, in XIII century, period in which the agricultural activity was thriving thanks to the mills, the building was turned into a Castrum by Ottone Visconti, archbishop of Milan, since, between Milan and Verbania, at the limits of Seprio Earldom, thanks to its natural defensive position, played the role of shelter for the military expeditions.
 Originally formed by a quadrangular tower against which other constructions leant on, followed the destiny of the Visconti's dinasty and of the long disputes with Torrians, until in 1437 Filippo Maria Visconti donated it to Oldrado II Lampugnani, his right-hand, who expanded it in 1445 making it a noble fortified construction with a quadrilateral structure inspired by the castle of Milan, by building castellated ramparts, the great tower at the entrance (with a marble gravestone including coats of arms and capital letters), cylindrical towers at the side, drawbridge and defensive floodable moat.
 Oldrado III, between 1523 and 1528, enlarged the complex further, had it frescoed and rebuilt the parts that had been damaged by the fights between the imperial troops and the French ones for the dominion over Milan's dukedom.
 In 1792, after some quarrels about the property right, the complex was purchased, toghether with the annexed holding, by the family of the marquesses Cornaggia Medici, that earlier turned it into a stay residence, by having the towers frescoed, readjusting the church - used as family tomb and private oratory - and creating a terrace on the southern side towards the Olona, later converted it into a farm, by building, with the material subtracted from the crenellations and destroyed towers, stables for bovines and horses and barns in the courtyard, and dividing the internal spaces into apartments for the lessees and the employees who managed the cattle and the surrounding lands (fam. Villa).
 In 1973, after years of neglect that determined several losses, the castle and the surrounding farming areas became municipal properties, who began the refurbishment of the building turning it into a space for the exhibitions, at the same time of the foundation, in the bordering area, of the Castle Park.
The recent works, concerning the banks and the neighbourhoods of the building, gave backthe whole area to the public domain, improving the use also from the landscape and environmental point of view.