REF. CODE: 2046 TYPE: Neogothic castle with park and truffle ground CONDITION: restored, luxury finishes POSITION: hilly, very panoramic MUNICIPALITY: Barolo PROVINCE: Cuneo REGION: Piedmont SIZE: 3,666 square meters (39,445 square feet) TOT. N° OF ROOMS: 50+ BEDROOMS: 25 BATHROOMS: 20 FEATURES: stone walls, crenellated towers, rectangular crenels, Neogothic style, coffered ceilings, frescoed halls, stone and marble fireplaces, frescoes, columns with Corinthian capitals, stone staircases, parquet and graniglia floors, restaurant, paved terraces, historic cellar, park, private parking lot, private truffle ground, possibility of planting Nebbiolo vineyards ANNEX: guesthouse, owner's house, warehouse ACCESS: excellent, with private parking lot POOL: no ELECTRICITY: already connected WATER: mains water TELEPHONE: already connected ADSL: yes GAS: municipal network HEATING: radiators + air conditioning GARDEN: yes, well-maintained LAND: 3.5 hectares (8.6 acres)
NEAREST TOWNS
Barolo (7km; 10’), Bra (16km; 20’), Alba (19km; 25’), Asti (45km; 40’), Carmagnola (46km; 40’), Cuneo (55km; 45’), Turin (69km; 1h), Acqui Terme (72km; 1h 10’), Alessandria (80km; 1h), Savona (91km; 1h 10’), Casale Monferrato (102km; 1h 10’), Genoa (140km; 2h), Milan (169km; 2h), Sanremo (180km; 2h 10’)
NEAREST AIRPOTRS
Cuneo Levaldigi (33km; 40’), Torino Pertini (99km; 1h 10’), Genova Colombo (131km; 1h 45’), Milano Linate (178km; 1h 50’), Milano Malpensa (193km; 2h), Bologna Marconi (316km; 3h)
PRICE
Price upon request
DESCRIPTION
MAJESTIC CASTLE FOR SALE IN PIEDMONT, LANGHE
On top of a rocky spur overlooking the beautiful landscape of the Langhe,incredible late-19th-century Neogothic castle currently working as a hotel.
Result of a masterful renovation carried out with great care and love by the current owners since the 1960s, the castle (with its annexes) includes nowadays 25 bedrooms and a restaurant.
The private wood, located on the slope below the rocky spur, is an excellent spot for truffles but a project to convert this plot of land into a Nebbiolo/Barolo vineyard has already been approved (as it was in the past).
DESCRIPTION OF THE BUILDINGS
The castle (2,436 sqm – 26,211 sqft, 15 bedrooms and 11 bathrooms) is made up of two wings, fully communicating but dating back to very different periods. The original section is the hotel with the bedrooms and bathrooms for the guests, while the 1970s part is occupied by huge event halls, a restaurant and a huge solarium rooftop terrace.
- Ground floor: historic cellar, pantry, two ample restaurant halls (over 500 sqm in total), bar, laundry room, dressing room for the staff and two 60-sqm balconies.
- First floor: event hall (560 sqm – 6,025 sqft), professional kitchen, bar, three event rooms, hotel reception, hygienic services, terrace and balcony.
- Second floor: seven bedrooms with bathroom, suite N°1 (two bedrooms, entrance room and bathroom), suite N°2 (two bedrooms, entrance room and bathroom), closets and ample solarium terrace (560 sqm – 6,025 sqft);
- Third floor: suite N°3 (two bedrooms, entrance room and bathroom), suite N°4 (two bedrooms, entrance room and bathroom), closets and solarium terrace.
The old gateway to the stables (100 sqm – 1,076 sqft, 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom) is nowadays a peculiar guesthouse. The two towers are connected by an archway (the old carriage door). The eastern tower is basically a staircase connecting all the floors of the building. The western tower (on three floors just like its twin) accommodates two bedrooms (ground and second floor) with a bathroom in between (first floor). Right above the archway connecting the towers is a beautiful windowed corridor on the first floor and, above it, a balcony connecting the two towers.
The old stables (810 sqm – 8,715 sqft, 8 bedrooms and 8 bathrooms) with the servants’ quarters, located at the southern edge of the spur, date back to the Middle Ages and offer a breathtaking 270-degree view over the surrounding countryside. The building is currently used by the owners as a private residence and is laid over four floors.
- Basement: cellar, kitchen, dining room, pool room, music hall, wardrobe, boiler room and bathroom. Descending a stone staircase one can reach an infernot dug in stone, once used as an ice room.
- Ground floor: entrance room, two bedrooms, bathroom, living room, bedroom/office and garage. On the southern and western side there is a 30-sqm balcony with a beautiful view.
- First and second floor:
- Eastern apartment (210 sqm – 2,260 sqft): entrance room, kitchen/dining room, living room, laundry room, three bedrooms, three bathrooms, wardrobe and loggia;
- Western apartment (220 sqm – 2,367 sqft): entrance/living room, three bedrooms, three bathrooms, laundry room, wardrobe, kitchen/dining room, living room with marble floors, studio and loggia.
Finally, not far from the entrance to the complex, there is a 1960s warehouse (320 sqm – 3,443 sqft) laid over two floors housing a storage rooms for tools, a boiler room for the hotel and the restaurant, an electric cabin, a storage room, a covered garage and a repair shop.
HISTORY, STATE AND FINISHES
The original castle dates back to the Middle Ages (probably built over a preexisting Roman castrum), but the building was destroyed in the 15th century during the long-lasting war between France and Spain to rule the Italian peninsula. The ruins of the castle rested there for centuries until in the 19th century they were used as a base to rebuild a new Neogothic-style manor by request of the noblewoman Maria Allara Nigra (nephew of the famous diplomat Costantino Nigra).
The castle was designed by Giovanni Battista Schellino following all the rules of the medieval revival of the late 19th century, to recreate an idealized and fabulous Middle Age, one which never actually existed and fruit of the idealization and love for a fascinating period and its architecture.
In the 1960s, almost a ruin, the building was bought by the current owners who, struck by the beauty of the structure, engaged in a meticulous reconstruction and restoration of the castle. In the same years a new building was adjoined to the western wing of the castle, together with its impressive rooftop paved terrace. This part of the castle is a unique opportunity: it is, in fact, not subject to historic and artistic restrictions, which means one could easily alter the structure and its intended purposes.
In 2016 a new restoration allowed reinforcing the main tower, replacing the original cover of the castle (irreparably damaged) and replacing the old eaves with newer ones made out of copper. Finally, the imposing eagle statue surmounting the main entrance has been replaced with a faithful reproduction made out of bronze.
For over fifty years, the castle is home to a renowned restaurant (inaugurated in 1967) and a prestigious hotel.
EXTERIORS
The property covers a total surface of approximately 3.5 hectares (8.6 acres). All around the castle is a beautiful tree-dotted park (6,000 sqm) with gardens and an ample paved parking lot for the guests of the structure.
On the southern side, just under the rocky spur and along the slope, there are roughly 1.6 hectares of woodland with a private truffle ground. This part of the property was in the past covered in a vineyard planted with Nebbiolo vines, used for the renowned Barolo wine.
The project forwarded by the owners to bring this plot of land back to its original use has already been approved so the vineyards can be replanted as they were.
USE AND POTENTIAL USES
The castle, thanks to the loving care and a masterful restoration carried out by the present owners, is currently a luxury hotel with ample spaces for events and a huge restaurant. By converting the woodland on the slope one could also start producing wine, exploiting to this end the historic cellar in the property or converting (ideally) the warehouse on the northern side of the complex.
The term Castle derives from castellum which, in turn, derives from Castrum, a Latin term that refers to a military settlement. It is, in fact, in Roman times that we find the first elements of castles, architectural structures that become even more important with the advent of the barbarians. These peoples, nomads and mostly devoted to hunting and war, were also particularly ferocious and it was therefore required to fortify the already existing military facilities.
With the fall of the Roman Empire and the advent of the Middle Ages the decentralization of power required the creation of different types of fortification. At the beginning the scene was dominated by the watch towers whose purpose was primarily military.
The different economic and social structure, typical of the Middle Ages, then, required the creation of fortified towns. The castle became, therefore, the nucleus of a decentralized economy that, from the city, now moved to the countryside. That’s why the castle appeared as real fortified village.
In modern times, with the advent of various forms of fortification, the castle lost its defensive role. The various castles began, therefore, to be converted into residences for noble families.
Currently many of the castles in Italy and Europe are in need of renovation and therefore represent an unique opportunity to give a new life to a piece of history.
Owning a castle, live in a castle and, even more, to revive a castle is surely one of the most exciting experiences of life.
FLOOR PLANS OF THE CASTLE
