The palace on Rovello Street was named after Francesco Bussone, a farmer’s son who would become Captain of Venture Companies, adopting the name of Carmagnola, a town in the province of Turin that was his birthplace.
His extraordinary skills in battle would make him the hero of the Visconti army serving the Duke of Milan Filippo Maria Visconti.
As a reward for his loyalty and abilities (he returned the ancient Lombard domains of Monza Brescia Bergamo Piacenza Cremona to the House of Visconti), the Duke gave him the title of Count and gave him the palace that would be named after him.
Then came the dark years, Visconti ‘s animosity toward Carmagnola, fear of his betrayal, and exile to Genoa.
Later, from a man-at-arms’ abode to a treasure chest of art.
The Visconti dynasty also came to an end in those years, and it was Francesco Sforza who would be the new lord of Milan; among his many sons, the most important would be Ludovico il Moro, husband of Beatrice d’Este and lover of Cecilia Gallerani, whose beauty is forever fixed in the painting The Lady with an Ermine, one of Leonardo’s masterpieces.
To the latter Ludovico (the Sforzas acquired all Visconti properties therefore also Palazzo Carmagnola) will give the Palazzo that the very young lady, animated by a passion for art, will transform into her enchanting court, surrounding herself with writers musicians poets painters.
Learn more about the writer Giovanna Ferrante.
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