The History
Cigognola is mentioned in the diploma of Frederick II in 1164. It is thought that it had to be a fortified town under their own local lord (dominus loci). It was later dominion of the powerful family of Pavia Sannazzaro, the most important part of Guelph in Oltrepò, represented here by one of the main branches of the family (the de Cigognola). They were ousted in 1406, to the intrigues of Beccaria of Pavia. In 1415, however, the Beccaria, involved in a conspiracy against Filippo Maria Visconti, Count of Pavia and the Duke of Milan, had confiscated the estate, which was granted to the discoverer of the conspiracy, Giorgio Aicardi, and to his family, and for the privilege granted by Visconti to take their last name, they gave rise to the House of Visconti Aicardi, also called Visconti Scaramuzza a nickname. Actually touched the Aicardi about half of the fief of Broni, including land usurped the Sannazzaro, as Cigognola; but in fact the descendants were, in addition to the nominal title of counts of Broni, only Cigognola with its distant dependencies Canevino and Albaredo Arnaboldi (which still advancing claims the Sannazzaro, then calm yourself with a cash compensation).
Visconti Aicardi Scaramuzza kept the feud of Cigognola, to extinction in the eighteenth century, after which he went to Barbara d'Adda and her son, Alberico XII Barbiano of Belgioioso, the last feudal lord of Cigognola. The fact feudalism was abolished in 1797. The feudal lords had estesissimi Cigognola goods, including also the castle during the Napoleonic era were purchased by Gazzaniga and passed by inheritance to-Arnaboldi Gazzaniga and the current owners, Brichetto-Arnaboldi.