Castello Bonoris

In 1890, the young banker Gaetano Bonoris (1861-1923), freshly appointed a noble by King Umberto I, purchased the remains of the ancient Rocca di Montichiari. His vision was ambitious: to transform the ruins on the Colle di San Pancrazio into a fairytale dwelling that would embody his ideal of the Middle Ages and the prestige of his new title of Count of Montichiari.

Although the project had begun under the guidance of architect Antonio Tagliaferri, it was completed by Carlo Melchiotti following some disagreements with the first designer. In this decisive phase, the reference model became the Borgo e la Rocca Medievale di Torino (created for the 1884 Universal Exhibition), inspiring a neo-Gothic aesthetic that echoes the famous Valdostan castles of Fénis and Issogne.

Today the castle is the heart of Montichiari Museums, the urban museum system established in 2009 and recognised by the Lombardy Region. In addition to the Bonoris Castle, the circuit enhances the territory's identity through the Lechi Museum, the Pasinetti Art Gallery, the Bergomi Museum, the Risorgimento Museum and the Palace of Archaeology.