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 A very large castle built on an elevation that dominates Olona, today found in the eastern suburbs of Varese, this construction is visible from the road which connects the town to Malnate. The building, which has undergone extensive modifications over the centuries, still conserves hidden testimonies of its early medieval past. The complex is today in a sorry state.
The strategic importance of this castle complex is testified to by the mention made by the inhabitants of Varese in the peace treaty of 1168 with the Lombard League as "those of Belforte".
Frederick I Barbarossa (1123-1190) stayed at the Castle of Belforte in 1164 and 1175 on the occasion of his descents upon Milan. This is proof that the road of Olona was used by the imperial armies in order to reach Lombardy. They passed here again when they returned in 1176, only to be defeated at the Battle of Legnano by the Communes of the Lombard League.
The castle was transformed into a villa in the seventeenth century by the Marquises of Biumi.
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