A HISTORICAL LOCATION OFFERING VISITS AND SPECIAL EVENTS, WHERE ALL YOUR DREAMS CAN BE REALISED

The Castle stands on the edge of the hills of Turin, surrounded by a park and overlooking the village of Pavarolo and the neighbouring areas, with a superb panorama over the Alps and the Ligurian Apennines.

The way its spaces are arranged makes it possible to propose many different kinds of tailor-made solutions according to the size and atmosphere required for your receptions, intimate dinners, conferences, exhibitions and concerts.

The ground floor, which is easily accessible to all, offers suggestive and romantic views from the large portals leading into the building. Murals in Anglo-Saxon, neo-Gothic style and dating back to 1884 decorate some of the rooms on the ground and first floors.

Together with a rich collection of contemporary family crests, decorative panels from the first half of the 14th century depicting mythological subjects and figures adorn the coffered ceilings on the second floor and are some of the oldest and best-preserved examples of their kind in the Piedmont region.

A staircase in the tower and a modern lift connect the different floors.

THE HISTORY OF CASTELLO DI PAVAROLO

A decree from the year 1047, signed by Emperor Arrigo III, confirms the possession of the Castle by the Canons of Turin, otherwise known as Canons of the Saviour, the property having been granted to them by the city’s Bishop in exchange for their loyalty and service.

Today, only the large round stones taken from the riverbank which constitute the base of the south-west corner and possibly the remains of an even older fortification serve as a reminder of those distant times.

A later document dated 1235 mentions the alliance of the Municipality of Chieri with the Baron of Pavarolo.

In 1264, Goffredo di Montanaro, the Bishop of Turin, handed over the Castle to the sons and grandson of a citizen of Chieri, Signorino Balbo. During this period, significant transformation work began, of which the intricately painted coffered ceilings on the first floor are the most stunning and noteworthy.

In 1354, the territory of Chieri, along with Pavarolo, came under the jurisdiction of Amedeo VI of Savoy.

Various owners succeeded one another until 1394, when the militia of Facino Cane from Casale, who were bound by allegiance to the Duke of Monferrato and intent on containing the expansionist ambitions of the Savoy dynasty, devastated the area and occupied the Castle, installing their own garrison there.

In 1399, the people of Chieri reconquered the Castle, during a siege in which 17 of the 20 defenders from Monferrato were wounded; the fiefdom was then entrusted to Antonio Simeone Balbis.

Over the next two centuries, the property was divided between numerous owners, some of whom only possessed a very small percentage of the building.

The consequent need to meet their diverse requirements, in addition to the still-visible traces of a fire, may have been the reason for the radical restructuring that was carried out during this time. The cubage was enlarged, and while the overall height of the Castle remained unchanged, capacity was increased by inserting a new floor between the ground floor and the first floor, which was obtained by demolishing the floor slab between the two floors and redistributing the new space gained over three floors, creating extra rooms.

However, the new floor plans required the bricking up of the existing valuable Gothic windows and the opening of new windows adapted to the new floors and the increased number of rooms in the residence.

In the first decades of the 18th century, Countess Anna Maria di Piossasco, widow of Count Giuseppe Antonio Simeone Balbis, became the exclusive owner of the property. She had a private Oratory constructed on the second floor where Mass was celebrated daily, which is still present today.

In 1736, the Castle of Pavarolo, together with the Castello di Montaldo, came under the ownership of Alessandro Ferrero d'Ormea. It is believed that he commissioned a new wing for the stables and a loft for the storing of animal food and forage.

An engraving of the Castle, produced by Gonin in 1850, indicates Countess Gloria as the current owner. She subsequently left the Castello to her eldest son, who duly sold it to Donato De Benedetti in 1867.

His son, Ezechiele, resold it in 1881 to Edoardo Pansoja di Borio, who, in turn, in 1884, ceded it to Malvina Ganeri, the daughter of the British Consul in Turin. Malvina undertook significant renovation work on the interiors, incorporating dropped ceilings and wall decorations in an Anglo-Saxon neo-Gothic style.

In 1920, the Castle was purchased by four entrepreneurs (Paletto, Beltramo, Piovano and Vigna), who sold it on to Francesco Zavattaro Ardizzi from Casale in 1924. However, due to his premature death, the purchase agreement was signed by his widow, Giuseppina Cigala Fulgosi.

Since then, Castello di Pavarolo has belonged to the Zavattaro Ardizzi family, who now reside here permanently after having completed further consolidation and major restoration work.

FACILITIES AND SERVICES: VISITS OF THE CASTLE AND PRIVATE EVENTS IN TURIN

Guided tours of the Castle are available by prior appointment. It is possible to reserve private group tours or to join the tours organised on the days of our 'Special Openings'.

The ground floor is easily accessible, with no architectural constraints, and consists of: a room of about 53 square metres with moulded brick vaults, lime plaster on the walls and antique brick flooring; a room of approximately 80 square metres with a brick barrel vault and a terracotta tiled floor; a room of about 42 square metres with a coffered ceiling and walls decorated in neo-Gothic style and black and white fine 19th-century marble tiled flooring, which used to be the old main entrance and had an internal staircase leading to the first floor; and the highly evocative well room with a brick vault.

All the rooms have their own doors overlooking the park and are connected to each other by wide internal doors. Two separate flights of stairs and a modern lift lead to the upper floors.

The rooms on the second floor are accessible from the outside via a double flight of stairs and from the inside via two staircases and a lift. It consists of: a 52-square-metre room with terracotta flooring and entirely decorated with flaming heraldic friezes in neo-Gothic style; a 53-square-metre room, with a wooden ceiling, exposed beams and hexagonal red tile flooring from the late 19th century, 6 lunette windows and a small balcony; a room of 20 square metres with a beamed ceiling, red 17th-century terracotta flooring, 2 rectangular windows and a fireplace; and 4 other rooms, including 1 with a fireplace, for a total of 90 square metres, all connected by arcades. These are decorated in neo-Gothic style and have wooden coffered ceilings with red 17th-century terracotta floors, with a 42-square metre room with a wooden ceiling with exposed beams and antique floorboards.

The second floor is characterised by the aforementioned valuable 14th-century coffered ceilings, a small consecrated chapel and two elegant suites.

On the top floor, there is an apartment with a kitchen, two bathrooms and 7 rooms, one of which is in the tower above.

The park has a typically 19th-century structure with a belvedere, gravel paths and flower beds. The panorama extends 360 degrees, revealing Bardassano Castle with the Alps and the Monte Rosa mountain range in the background to the north. Looking eastwards, there is Montaldo Castle and the towns of Cinzano and Marentino, as well as the hills towards Asti, while the plains that stretch from the Chieri area to the Ligurian Apennines and the Maritime Alps are to be found facing south, with the Colle dell’Eremo and the Colle della Maddalena to the west. On the horizon is the Monte Viso mountain range and the Alps. There are ornamental plants and tall trees on the sloping terrain leading down to the village.

The village of Pavarolo is about 15 km from Turin and can be reached via Superga, Chieri and Castiglione Torinese.

Access to the property is from 8, Via Maestra, the main street of the village. From the entrance, the Castle is accessible along an S-shaped, tree-lined avenue.