[3] The town of Castiglione Olona rose around the fifth century CE under the Roman Empire domain.

Consequently, the Lombards entered and took possession of the village until the Castiglioni family became sole proprietor of the land around 1000 AC.

The family engaged in many battles for the rule of the lands so they had walls built all around the village to protect themselves from enemies.

[4] In the town, the 15th and 16th century palace of cardinal Branda now serves as a museum, still contains a chapel and a number of frescoed walls, some attributed to Sienese painter Vecchietta.

The building, constructed between 1437 and 1444 on the site of an ancient oratory of the 13th century dedicated to the Holy Sepulchre, declares a close descent from Brunelleschi's architectural models.