diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index fba60f1023..78681b64d2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -164,6 +164,7 @@ jobs:
         os:
           - ubuntu-latest
         docker_image:
+          - "debian:buster-backports"
           - "ubuntu:20.04"
           - "ubuntu:22.04"
 
@@ -183,6 +184,11 @@ jobs:
             git build-essential cmake libace-dev coinor-libipopt-dev libeigen3-dev swig \
             libxml2-dev liboctave-dev python3-dev python3-numpy valgrind libassimp-dev libirrlicht-dev curl unzip libglfw3-dev
 
+    - name: Install CMake 3.16 [Docker/Debian Buster]
+      if: matrix.docker_image == 'debian:buster-backports'
+      run: |
+        apt-get -y -t buster-backports install cmake
+
     - name: Install files to enable compilation of mex files [apt]
       run: |
         curl -L -O https://github.com/robotology/robotology-vcpkg-ports/releases/download/storage/msdk_R2020b_mexa64.zip
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 5355d734e9..4dbce497aa 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Fixed
+
+- Fixed compilation of IDYNTREE_USES_ASSIMP option in Debian 10 Buster (https://github.com/robotology/idyntree/pull/1148).
+
 ## [10.2.0] - 2024-01-12
 
 ### Added 
diff --git a/src/visualization/CMakeLists.txt b/src/visualization/CMakeLists.txt
index 64b0a78856..44fede40c4 100644
--- a/src/visualization/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/visualization/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -102,13 +102,19 @@ if(IDYNTREE_USES_MESHCATCPP)
     target_link_libraries(${libraryname} PRIVATE MeshcatCpp::MeshcatCpp)
 endif()
 
-if(IDYNTREE_USES_ASSIMP)
-    target_compile_definitions(${libraryname} PRIVATE IDYNTREE_USES_ASSIMP)
+if (IDYNTREE_USES_ASSIMP)
+  target_compile_definitions(${libraryname} PRIVATE IDYNTREE_USES_ASSIMP)
+  # See similar code in solid-shapes CMakeLists.txt
+  if((assimp_VERSION AND assimp_VERSION VERSION_GREATER_EQUAL 5.0) OR WIN32)
     target_link_libraries(${libraryname} PRIVATE assimp::assimp)
+  else()
+    target_include_directories(${libraryname} PRIVATE "${ASSIMP_INCLUDE_DIRS}")
+    link_directories("${ASSIMP_LIBRARY_DIRS}")
+    target_link_libraries(${libraryname} PRIVATE "${ASSIMP_LIBRARIES}")
+  endif()
 endif()
 
 
-
 install(TARGETS ${libraryname}
         EXPORT iDynTree
         RUNTIME DESTINATION "${CMAKE_INSTALL_BINDIR}" COMPONENT bin