In the 1930s, the charming castle on Lake Endine was in danger of collapsing: decades of neglect had rendered this thousand-year-old residence almost a ruin. Then, in 1937, Countess Winifred Terni de’ Gregory Taylor chose it as her holiday residence and restored it: the walls regained their splendour, and the gardens flourished again. From the Middle Ages until now, the castle has undergone continuous transformations but retains its charm.
London, Dresden, Munich, Montreux, and then Lake
Countess Winifred fell in love with the landscapes of Lake Endine, not far from Crema, where she settled after a youth spent traveling the world. A lover of art history and architecture, the noblewoman decided to recover the castle, and thanks to her, today, the village of Monasterolo has not lost its medieval manor house.
HISTORICAL NOTES
According to tradition, a Benedictine monastery stood in the area before the castle, destroyed at the time of Charlemagne and never rebuilt. In medieval times, around the year 1000, Monasterolo appears in chronicles as a fort that also offered protection to the local population during the descent of enemy armies.
In the 13th century, the Ghibelline Suardi family used it for defensive purposes. In the Renaissance, the building became a prestigious residence, losing its military value but being a fortified residence with walls on three sides and the lake on the fourth.
From the 18th century onwards, the manor house headed towards decline. Fortunately, the arrival of the Countess, with her passion for the arts, made it possible to preserve the splendid Gothic portal, the wall walkways, and the small 17th-century Oratory of St. Anne.
Today, the castle of Monasterolo is a private property and hosts receptions. Its park, one of the most important in northern Italy, contains over seven hundred tree species, making it a botanical garden.
Promotion and enhancement provided by the Proloco di Monasterolo del Castello.
