The Proh Castle in Briona

Briona is an Italian town of about 1000 inhabitants in the province of Novara, in Piedmont. It is located on the border between the plain and the Novara hills, and is about 15 km from Novara. Despite the small size of the village, there is a strong presence of historical monuments, including many churches and the two castles, the Castle of Briona and the Castle of Proh, which we will focus on. The Castle of Proh, also called 'Rocchetta di Proh', rises in the plain and on the edge of the first slopes of the Novara hills, and was built in the 15th century at the behest of Francesco Sforza, thus acquiring the Castello Sforzesco label. Over the years it saw many dominations until it was transformed into a farmhouse by the Fantoni family in the nineteenth century. It was then sold to Count Lucini but in the course of the 20th century it again saw an alternation of different owners, before being sold to the Marelli family, the current owner of the structure. After a period of neglect, it was brought to light in the 1960s even if, to date, its interior cannot be visited. However, it is thanks to its majestic appearance that it deserves to be visited externally.