Castello di Govone

From Medieval castle to Baroque palace
The Castle, which dominates the pretty village of Govone from above and from which there is a breathtaking view of the Alps, at the crossroads of the Langhe, Roero and Monferrato, is the ideal starting point for a trip into the countryside halfway between Asti and Alba.
Existing since the 11th century, the castle was rebuilt from 1678 onwards to a design by the famous architect Guarino Guarini, commissioned by Roberto Solaro, ambassador of the Savoy and Grand Prior of the Order of Malta, and his nephew Count Ottavio Francesco Solaro of Govone.
The majestic façade, characterised by a staircase of honour with four flights and built towards the end of the 18th century, was enriched with the imposing 17th-century sculptures from the dismantled Hercules Fountain at the Reggia di Venaria, the telamons by Giovanni Battista Casella and Carlo Pagano, and the four terracotta military trophies, designed by Giovanni Baratta for Palazzo Madama, used to decorate the east façade.

The Royal residence
In 1795 the castle passed to the Savoy family, although shortly afterwards, during the French occupation, it ended up at auction. It was with the new acquisition and the return of the castle to Charles Felix of Savoy and his consort Maria Christina of Bourbon, who intended to use it as a summer resort, that the interior was profoundly renovated (1819-1825), starting with the scenographic hall of honour: a large trompe-l'œil space that illusionistically recalls classical temples, on whose walls and vault the Story of Niobe taken from Greek mythology is told. The ancient fables, frescoed by Carlo Pagani, Andrea Piazza, Luigi Vacca and Fabrizio Sevesi, were also chosen to decorate the vaults of the rooms on the piano nobile, destined to Carlo Felice's brother Vittorio Emmanuel I, his wife Maria Teresa d'Asburgo-Este and the princes of Carignano. The park with its romantic English garden, designed by landscape architect Xavier Kurten, also dates back to the 1820s.

In the 20^th century
Towards the end of the 19th century, the residence was acquired by the Tedeschi banking house and then by the Ovazza Segre family of Turin. In 1897 it became a landmark for the people of Govona as it became part of the property of the municipality, which established a school and set up public offices there. Most of the furnishings were auctioned off and bought en bloc by Andrea Massena, Prince of Essling, and can be admired today in the stylishly decorated rooms of the Villa Massena Museum in Nice.
Part of the building currently houses the town hall offices and the municipal library. The apartments on the piano nobile are open to the public, including the Chinese Cabinet, characterised by vivid 18th-century wallpaper depicting scenes of everyday life in China, the entrance hall and the Montesquieu apartment on the ground floor with fine geometric and floral stucco decorations.