Castello di Masino, Caravino, Torino, dimora Fai
In 1820, Risorgimento writer and patriot Silvio Pellico stayed in the Castle of Masino, located in Caravino (in province of Turin, Piedmont) – which he declared was “one of the most beautiful towns in the world”. Before him, the great playwright Vittorio Alfieri, beacon of Italian intellectuals during the Risorgimento, had stopped in the “beautiful Castle of Masino” in 1783; his favorite part was the castle’s prestigious library, home to twenty thousand precious and historical books.

The splendid building, originally a residence of the Count of Valperga, is now managed with laudable care by Fondo Ambiente Italiano. Surrounded by a huge park with an outstanding maze of hedges, the castle was first built in the 11th century, but was destroyed and rebuilt in the 1500s with impressive fortifications.

“The Castle’s chapel,” “Alla scoperta dell’Italia con il Fai” explains, “holds the ashes of Arduin of Ivrea, who was proclaimed King of Italy in Pavia in 1002, and was thought to be the founder of the Valperga dynasty. In 1764, the ashes were placed inside a sacellum, protected by a marble headstone.”

It seems the Castle was there all along, as Italy traveled the long path that culminated in the country’s unification.

http://www.italianways.com

Castle of Masino

Account

by category

Login

Name

by region

Title

Name in English

Borgomasino is located on a hilly position, a few kilometers from Turin, with a great view of the morainic amphitheater and over the plains of Canavese. Placed at the border between the lands of Ivrea and Vercelli, Borgomasino has two castles built for defensive reasons: the castrum vetus, in town and the castrum novum in the hamlet of Torrazzo, of which only the ruins remain. A description of the castle's structure is preserved in a 1757 blueprint by the Turin architect Tommaso Prunotti. Seriously damaged from an 1818 cave-in, the castle was divided up: one area was given to the nuns for a pre-school and another part was given to the Parish Church di San Salvatore. Around 1870, Luigi Valperga di Masino had the structure transformed into a residential villa using the design of the Turin architect Siniscalchi. The castle remained with the Valperga counts until the end of the 1980's, when it was purchased and restored the present day owners. The castle, brought back to its original splendor thanks to careful restructuring, has become a magnificent 19th century villa, immersed in an age-old park. A medieval tower with a square layout and a rustic wing are what remain of the original structure.

https://www.piemonteitalia.eu

Castello di Borgomasino

Il castello di Strambino sorge in posizione sopraelevata a nord dell’abitato ed è contraddistinto dall'essere costituito da diversi corpi di fabbrica appartenenti ad epoche diverse, venutisi ad aggregare in tempi successivi a partire dal secolo XI fino al secolo XVII.

Esso è composto essenzialmente da diversi nuclei facilmente individuabili e cioè dalla parte primitiva del castello detto “arduinico” ascrivibile al sec. XI, dalla successiva espansione del castello detto “gotico” la cui edificazione si fa risalire al sec. XIV e dall'ultima espansione del castello le tre dimore signorili risalenti al sec. XVII, le uniche attualmente abitate, che sorgono su preesistenti opere difensive del primitivo castello e poggiano su possenti muraglioni fortificati di cinta inglobanti parchi e giardini.

Il Castello di Strambino è da tempo appartenente ai conti San Martino di Strambino. Ora il castello arduinico del sec. XI, quello gotico del sec. XIV e due delle tre residenze signori del XVII, quella centrale e quella di ponente, appartengono ancora ai discendenti dei San Martino. La dimora signorile di levante è stata invece donata per testamento nel 1870 a Don Bosco che l'ha rivenduta ai marchesi Scarampi di Villanova ed è ora appartenente ai suoi discendenti.

Note
Della primitiva costruzione “arduinica” restano le imponenti e suggestive rovine di un complesso a pianta rettangolare difeso esternamente nel lato meridionale da tre torri rese accessibili all’interno da scale a chiocciola. Anticamente il lato settentrionale era contornato da un profondo fossato difensivo, ormai colmato. La torre centrale, alta 18 metri, presenta finestre impreziosite da cornici in cotto ed è conclusa da un coronamento a merli ghibellini parzialmente chiusi che delimitano sei finestre aperte a giro d’orizzonte. All’ambiente sommitale, coperto, si accede tramite un mezzo giro di scala esterna.

Il castello “arduinico” di Strambino, menzionato negli atti coevi del 1161 quale rocca importante nella difesa contro il Comune di Vercelli, in continua lotta di supremazia con i signori del luogo, è sede per tutto il 1300 delle lotte intestine fra i Conti del Canavese, i San Martino e i Valperga, appoggiati i primi dai Savoia e i secondi dal Marchese del Monferrato e dai Visconti di Milano. Nel 1361 l’abitato di Strambino viene assaltato dalle truppe di Giovanni II del Monferrato che incendia le case e fa strage dei suoi abitanti per ritorsione contro la loro strenua resistenza; il castello subisce un lungo assedio, viene in parte danneggiato ma resiste e non può essere conquistato soprattutto per la tenacia del conte Bartolomeo San Martino, come ricorda il cronachista Pietro Azario nel “De Bello Canapiciano”, libro prezioso e unico che tratta delle vicende storiche del Canavese dal 1312 al 1367. Qualche anno dopo, nell'agosto del 1386, scoppia in Canavese una furiosa rivolta del popolo contro l’aristocrazia in generale e contro i filo-savoiardi Conti San Martino in particolare e il castello di Strambino subisce alcuni gravi danni e devastazioni da parte dei rivoltosi detti “tuchini”. Questi fatti determinarono, presumibilmente, l’edificazione di un secondo edificio castellano e il contemporaneo, progressivo abbandono del castello “arduinico”.

Il secondo corpo di fabbrica, databile appunto alla fine del secolo XIV, è definito tradizionalmente castello “gotico”, in ragione della decorazione delle porte e delle finestre e di una fascia in cotto che corre a metà altezza sulla facciata meridionale della costruzione realizzata secondo il gusto e la tipologia propria di tale stile. Il castello “gotico” sorge a sud del castello “arduinico”, dal quale è separato tramite una corte interna acciottolata. Presenta una pianta di forma rettangolare su cui si innesta, sul lato settentrionale, una torre quadrata servita da una scala a chiocciola di accesso al primo e secondo piano del castello stesso.

Testimone di innumerevoli avvenimenti storici locali, il castello “gotico” fu interessato da varie e alterne vicende belliche: il conte Reynerio San Martino di Strambino nel 1409 ottiene vittoriosa difesa del castello e del paese di Strambino contro la compagnia di ventura di Facino Cane; il capitano Cesare Maggi, comandante delle truppe spagnole nelle guerre tra imperiali e francesi, nel 1537 conquista Strambino e assalta il castello; le truppe francesi del conte Henry d’Harcourt, nel 1641 danneggiano per rappresaglia il castello di Strambino, avendo il conte Gerolamo San Martino di Strambino ospitato il principe Tommaso di Savoia, che con lui si era schierato nella lotta tra “Principisti” e “Madamisti”.

Dopo tali avvenimenti, i conti San Martino di Strambino, ampliandosi la famiglia e mutando i tempi, decisero l’edificazione di altri corpi di fabbrica a sud dei castelli medievali. Vennero pertanto erette le tre dimore signorili, le uniche attualmente abitate, la cui datazione al secolo XVII è confermata dall’iscrizione 1687 indicata sulla decorazione di una finestra del corpo centrale. I corpi di fabbrica seicenteschi sorgono su preesistenti opere difensive dei primitivi castelli e poggiano su possenti muraglioni fortificati di cinta inglobanti parchi e giardini.

I caratteri tipologici propri dell’epoca di edificazione dei vari complessi risultano talvolta modificati in parte dai rimaneggiamenti d’uso. Tuttavia, non è mai stata snaturata l’unitarietà sostanziale del castello, proprietà tramandata di padre in figlio dell’antica famiglia San Martino dei Conti Canavesani.

Castello di Strambino

Castello di Moncrivello History
The Castle of Moncrivello dei Marchesi del Carretto is a medieval fortification located in a strategic position. Over time, it has been transformed and still retains all the refinement of a noble residence.
The history of the castle sinks its origins until the year one thousand and the bitter medieval clashes between Guelphs and Ghibellines are part of its memories. Federico Barbarossa entrusted him to the control of the episcopate of Vercelli in 1152. It was then disputed by the Marquises of Monferrato, who took possession of it in 1243. Returned to the hands of the Vercellese church in 1300, it became a fief of the Fieschi family of the Bishops following the papal investiture of Boniface IX in 1394.
In the XIII century Moncrivello already had a fortified fortress and, although it was sold to the town of Vercelli, it remained under the jurisdiction of the Vercelli diocese. In 1399, after a brief period of hegemony by Antonio Fieschi - of the Fieschi family of Genoa - unhappy to the point of provoking the onset of the people of the village, the jurisdiction passed to the Savoy, in the person of Amedeo VIII.
At that time the stronghold maintained essentially a military role. The large quadrangular tower has been preserved from this period, with ornate windows in terracotta and machicolations, which, crossed by a driveway, leads into the courtyard of the castle.
It was the energetic Iolanda di Savoia, also known as Iolanda di Francia, (1436 - 1478), wife of Amedeo IX of Savoia and daughter of Charles VII of France, who transformed the stronghold into a real noble residence. The castle of Moncrivello became the favorite residence of Jolanda; here the duchess died in 1478.
From this transformation come the boundary walls decorated with dovetail merlons, and inside, the helical staircase, the coffered ceilings, the terracotta fireplaces.
The renovation of the castle commissioned by Jolanda had just ended when the wedding was celebrated between Charles I of Savoy and Bianca di Monferrato (1472 - 1519) who, widowed in 1490 at only eighteen years, was then regent of the Savoy State.
Charles II of Savoy called the Good (1504-1553) donated the castle to his bride, Beatrice of Portugal. With her he finished the period of maximum splendor of the castle: the fights between France and Spain caused its passage in the hands of men of arms; it was then long disputed during the seventeenth century among various Piedmontese noble families.
A memorable episode was in 1650 the battle with which the attack by the Spaniards was rejected, thanks to its robust fortified architecture, and the sacking of Moncrivello was thus avoided.
Passed definitively in 1692 to the Del Carretto family, it remained there until 1817 (or 1825) when the castle suffered a devastating fire. Then began a long period of degradation, completed in 1972 when it was rebuilt by private individuals.
From 1972 began the restoration by the Cav. Giovanni De Francisco who allowed to open the castle to visits, cultural events and ceremonies. The castle can be visited today and is used for cultural initiatives and tourism promotion. The structure will welcome you in its elegant environments, so you can move between the charming medieval halls, with capacity for up to 150 guests, and the green of the park surrounded by crenellated walls. The church of the fifteenth century in the adjacent square and hill sanctuary nearby will welcome your ceremony in a unique setting. The Castle also offers the possibility of celebrating civil marriage with legal validity.

Castello di Moncrivello

History
That of Pavone is the castle par excellence, that corresponds perfectly to the ideal image linked to this name: impressive, majestic, regal with its crown of battlements that runs along walls and walkways, secret passages, watch towers, loopholes and, inside, sumptuous showrooms, intimate alcoves and the indelible imprint of the passage of heroic knights and sovereigns. A fairytale place dating back to the year 859, built to defend the village of Pavone Canavese against the raids of Hungarians and Saracens and which boasts illustrious names among its owners: the Ottone, King Arduino and, more recently, the Savoy.

After the philological restoration of the architect Alfredo D'Andrade operated in the eighties of the twentieth century, today the castle is a prestigious seat of a hotel, in which the original structures are combined with mastery to modern needs.

The rooms are thirteen in all and among these are preferred those that lead to the romantic courtyard with a well. The furnishings are antique or in keeping with the style of the dwelling.
The restaurant is also of the highest quality, a company that has been renowned for years for its pleasant cuisine, where Piedmontese and Mediterranean flavors blend in original combinations, accompanied by the most important regional and Italian labels. Nor should be forgotten the charm of the setting, divided into aristocratic rooms beautifully decorated and adorned with precious objects.

https://www.histouring.com

Castello di Pavone Canavese 

Not one, but two Mazze Castles (Castello di Mazze). Nicknamed the “big castle” and the “small castle”, they are united by a large park that encloses the fortified complex which the Counts Valperga had built in the 12th century. The smaller castle is also older and has a crenellated wall and a high, square tower with double lancet windows in terracotta. The square shape is reminiscent of the castle’s larger central tower, which, for its part, is characterized by its rectangular layout, pointed windows, and perimeter walls that are crenellated and “closed” by towers. The castle is a two-storey structure: on the first floor is the Hall of the Throne (Salone del Trono) with frescos by Romolo Bernardi that finish on a lacunar ceiling; the Pink Room (Sala Rosa) is in a Baroque style and decorated with courtly themed medallions; the Gold Room (Sala d’Oro) has mosaic flooring and ceilings with 18th century frescos by the Galliari brothers; the Dining Room (Sala da Pranzo) in the Gothic style and is covered by a frescoed groin arch; and a bedroom (where Benito Mussolini slept) with several connecting rooms – including a library – with frescoed pavilion ceilings. In the medieval castle’s ancient cellars, it is possible to visit the Museum of Torture with implements and methods from the Inquisition.

https://www.piemonteitalia.eu


Castello di Mazzè 

Building started in 1358 by order of Count Amedeo VI Savoy, to defend the Savoy territory against the claims of other lords, in a strategic position in the highest part of the city, when the area of Ivrea (called Canavese), was troubled by the struggles between the lords of Valperga and those of Saint Martino, who sided with the Savoy.
When peace was restored the castle became a refined residence, and there lived the duchesses of the House of Savoy, who favored the development of culture and arts. During the 16th century the area was againdevastated by the French-Spanish wars and the castle was turned from a rich abode into a military garrison, and in the 18th century was furtherly transformed into a prison, then was closed in 1970. At last in 1994 the Italian state gave it to the town council and now the castle is open to the public in many occasions.
More info on the town of Ivrea.
https://www.enchantingitaly.com

Castello di Ivrea

Il castello di San Giuseppe a Chiaverano, ebbe una notevole importanza storica quale punto di osservazione militare - dalla sommità del monte Albagna che prospetta sul lago Sirio - degli antichi romani impegnati nella guerra contro i salassi. La zona in cui si erge è ritenuta uno dei più antichi luoghi di insediamento umano. L'omonimo convento di San Giuseppe - ha ospitato per lungo tempo diversi ordini religiosi. Trasformato in dimora signorile fra il XVII secolo ed il XVIII secolo, fu fortificato da Napoleone Bonaparte e nell'Ottocento è divenuto luogo di ritrovo per artisti e letterati quali Arrigo Boito, Eleonora Duse e Giuseppe Giacosa, nativo della vicina Colleretto Parella oggi Colleretto Giacosa.


Castello di Chiaverano

Il castello di Parella sorge nel comune omonimo.
Storia
Il castello risale al XIII secolo[1] e presenta rimaneggiamenti del XVII secolo. Già appartenente al casato dei San Martino e poi dei conti di Ivrea, fu edificato sui resti di una struttura dell'alto medioevo.

Nel 2011 è stato battuto all'asta, come il castello di Mazzè e, successivamente, il castello di Cesnola.[2] È stato acquistato dalla Società Manital con l'intento di recuperare la struttura e i terreni circostanti, i Vivai Canavesani e i vigneti già in passato DOCG, questi ultimi per produrre l'Erbaluce DOCG.[3]

È adibito a polo museale privato.

Descrizione
Strutturato su tre ali, ha altrettanti cortili interni prospicienti vari edifici e attorniati da un parco; al secolo successivo risale la torre di forma tonda ornata con fregi in cotto. Gli interni sono decorati con preziosi affreschi e finte architetture. La sala di Giove ha una sontuosa volta a carena di nave e affreschi di tema storico-mitologico e contiene una galleria di uomini illustri dell'epoca medioevale. La quadreria ha invece la volta decorata con sei scene allegoriche che rievocano vari temi: amore, giustizia, fede, forza, virtù e valore.



Castello di Parella

The Montalto Dora Castle gazed at centuries of history, from the Savoy to the Spanish, the French to the Germans, suffering numerous attacks by invaders, living the troubled Napoleonic period and savoring the long-awaited peace through the unification of Italy.
Its construction is attributed to the first half of the XII century , as evidenced by a document dated 1140, in which it is mentioned as “Castrum Montisalti”, belonging to the jurisdiction of Ivrea City’s Bishop.

The manor has been owned by multiple lineages.
In the XIV century it became part of the possessions of Savoy, who in 1403 sold it to De Jordanis of Bard family, who carried on with the construction.

Among the various attacks, we must remember the one that occurred during the siege of Ivrea in 1641, by the French troops of the Marquis d’ Harcourt, in the war against the Duchy of Savoy.
On that occasion the interior of the manor was dismantled, while external structures remained almost intact.

At the beginning of the XVIII century the castle passed to the Vallesa family, who owned it until the early XIX century, when the lineage ended.
It later belonged to the Count Severino of the Barons of Casana, who began to restore and enhance it.
In the early1900 an important study on the castle’s restoration was accomplished by Dr. Carlo Nigra, an engineer, together with the portoguese architect Alfredo d’Andrade, creator of the Turin “Borgo Medievale” (an accurate reconstruction of a medieval village in the city centre).

In 1963 the Castle became property of the Allioni of Brondello family. From 1965 to 1985 they proceeded to restore the buildings inside the walls, and to enhance the park.
In the last years, the current owners have gone on completing a functional restoration of internal and external spaces, along with several enhancing works for the whole park and its vegetation.

http://www.castellomontaltodora.com

The Montalto Dora Castle

CASTELLO DI SAN GIORGIO CANAVESE
The origins of the Biandrate Castle probably date back to the 10th century when the "castrum" of San Giorgio Canavese was an important outpost that oversaw the territory. Until the beginning of the 19th century, the castle complex consisted of two structures: the Old Castle (Castelvecchio) dating back to the 12th century and a second structure which dates back to between the 13th and the 14th century. The first was almost completely destroyed in the 19th century and an English style garden has been created in its place; the second structure assumed its present day look during the 18th century. The San Giorgio Castle is, just like Pavone, a magnificent castle restructured in the 18th century for a society event: the wedding of the Marquis Ferdinando di San Giorgio and the Marquise Vilcardel de Fleury. The grandiose atrium that opens on to the yard and the great staircase d'onore on the first floor, in fact, date back to the period; the medieval towers were eliminated in favor of a central body with three foreparts that jut out onto the yard. Because of this, the structure takes on the look of a majestic palazzo with rooms on the ground floor which are enlivened with multi-colored decorations. In the 19th century, however, a slow period of decline began, which was stopped by the restorations carried out by Ricci for Emanuele di Rovasenda, who inherited the complex in 1916. During the 1950's, the Rovasenda family abandoned the castle, ceding it to a private company that will oversee its restoration.

https://www.piemonteitalia.eu