Castello di Quarate

As made evident by its name derived from the Latin centuria quadrata, the Quarate complex rests over an old Roman fortress (castrum), in all likelihood restored and amplified in Lombard times for defensive purposes. 

The Castle, officially documented for the first time in a 1098 Carta, presents itself as a residential structure flanked by a tower to the northwest and another free standing tower, which stands out for the olive tree that grows atop it, just a few meters away. A short distance away, a small chapel dedicated to St. Michael the Archangel, now in ruins, can be found. The chapel was active as a parish until the 15th century. 

In 1346 the complex was still a part of the assets that remained undivided between members of the local Quaratesi family, their name obviously derived from that of the city itself. The garden and tower complex was described as “comune con tuti i consorti (con) una casa à piede de la detta torre” (“shared by men and their wives, made up of a house and tower”). Part of the structure rested on a defensive wall, at least partially bordered by a moat. 

The building itself seems to have been a residential structure of a certain prestige, built around a courtyard line with the Florentine style of the time. It went from the place of origin to the “residence villa” of the Quaratesi, who remained owners until 1534. The access door to the courtyard, recently restored, gave light to a parchment with the following words, undoubtedly adding to the mysterious charm of the castle: “Questa porta fàcione fare madonna Oretta et madonna Camilla, figliole di Andrea Quaratesi, l’anno 1523 del mese di septembre quando fuggirono la moria di Quarata. Lavoròlla mastro Battista legnaiolo a Monte et è la porta d’olmo“. As was frequently the case at the time, and as we can see from the quote above that recounts the flight of the two daughters of Andrea Quaratesi Oretta and Camilla to their country house in 1523 to escape the plague, rich city residents would often seek refuge in their country villa to avoid the plague; it was well-known at the time that the disease spread more readily in the densely populated cities.

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