Verde Castle - Valverde

VERDE CASTLE

The castle, "Castello di Verde", stands at the top of a hill in a picturesque and panoramic position, offering a view ranging from the gentle hilltops of the Pavia reliefs to the Po Valley. Dating back to the 11th century, it was initially owned by the monastery of Bobbio, then by the Bishop of Bobbio, then by the Municipality of Piacenza, later by Barbarossa, the Landi, the Malaspina, the Dal Verme and then again by the Malaspina.

In the Middle Ages the castle was the seat and refuge of the Guelph party.
All that remains of the original are the base of the tower, in sandstone, and a room perhaps used as a storehouse for food during sieges. The peculiar round tower, typical of the fortress architecture of the Sforza, suggests that at least this part of the castle dates back to the Malaspinian era, while the original core is actually older.

THE ORATORY

Close to the Castle there is an Oratory, where Mass used to be officiated, built by the Malaspina in 1608.
In reality it seems that an architectural structure dating back to the time of the foundation of the fortress, although in ruins, already existed and that the Marquis Gerolamo Malaspina only proceeded with the restoration. This small oratory, built with local sandstone blocks, can be considered an example of minor (poor) religious architecture.

THE WOODS OF THE VERDE CASTLE

The forest around the Verde Castle can be traced back to the Querco-ostryeti forest type, peculiar to the hilly areas of the Oltrepò Pavese whose current specific composition is mainly linked to the orographic conditions and the type of treatment to which they have been subjected. The dominant species are the Sessile Oak (often hybridized with the Downy Oak so much so that they are difficult to distinguish) and the Black Hornbeam, but the Prunus avium is also relatively abundant. As accessory species, there are also the Field Maple, the Laburnum, the Hazel and above all the Manna Ash which forms the dominant layer.

The shrubby component is widespread and relatively abundant and is made up of the Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas), the European cornel (Euonymus europaeus), the hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), in the more peripheral areas the juniper (Juniperus communis) and the Coronilla (Coronilla emerus) make their appearance.
The part exposed to the North is cooler and partly has a sub-flat morphology. The stationary conditions are overall more favorable to the development of the mesophilous forest component. The tree population is characterized by the presence of imposing specimens of Prunus avium together with the Oak, as accompanying species appear the Manna Ash, the Field Maple, the Laburnum, and among the shrubs the Hazel, the Hawthorn, the Dogwood and the Viburnum are frequent.
The part with south-east exposure instead presents more markedly peripheral microclimatic conditions, the slopes are decidedly higher (40-70%) and the soil much more superficial.
These stationary conditions have an impact in particular on the growth of the arboreal component and on the specific composition of the population.
Among the species present, the presence of the Cherry is drastically reduced, while in the shrubby level the Juniper and the Coronilla appear.

THE FAUNA

The abandonment that has characterized the mountain territory in recent times has favored the reconquest by the wildlife of those spaces that had been taken away from them. Near the wooded areas it is easy to admire the jays and the magpies; near the farmhouses the turtledoves, the blue tits, the robins and the wren. In spring you can often observe the frenetic circling of the white wagtail but also the more threatening flight of the hawk, the sparrowhawk and the buzzard. In the dead of night you can hear the calls of the little owl, the barn owl, the long-eared owl and the tawny owl.
Various small and large mammals populate the fields and woods; it is not always easy to spot them even if you can read their tracks on the ground. Gnawed pine cones are the unmistakable sign of the presence of the squirrel, while small prints of funny little hands on the ground indicate the passage of the hedgehog. Badgers, wild boars, foxes, roe deer and fallow deer also enrich the territory with their presence.