Govone
Governor Castle: a historical treasure in Piedmont
The Governor Castle is one of the magnificent historical residences that adorn the province of Cuneo, located in the municipality of Govone. The structure was owned by the Savoy royal family from 1792 to 1870 and, since 1997, it has been part of the Savoy Residences in Piedmont, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Today, the castle is used as a town hall.
History
The castle is located in an elevated position from which a fortress could already be observed in the Middle Ages. In the seventeenth century, the counts of Casane Astigiane entrusted the architect Guarino Guarini with the expansion of the castle, but these were never completed. At the end of the eighteenth century, work resumed thanks to the architect Benedetto Alfieri, who completed the work. In 1792, the castle became the property of the Savoy royal family and was chosen, along with the Ducal Castle of Agliè, as a summer residence after Napoleon Bonaparte. In the early nineteenth century, Carlo Felice of Savoy and his wife Maria Cristina of Savoy fully restored the castle and the adjacent Italian garden.
Description
The Governor Castle attracts visitors with its monumental and scenic two-ramp stairway embellished with reliefs and telamons, which come from the gardens of Venaria Reale. Some rooms are decorated with precious Chinese papers, while the ballroom is frescoed with scenes reproducing the mythological episode of Niobe, a work by Luigi Vacca and Fabrizio Sevesi. In the large central hall, always by the same painters, the frescoes create the illusion of statues surprising the visitor.
Notes
The Governor Castle is part of a network of eight castles, better known as "Castelli Doc," which includes the manors of Grinzane Cavour, Barolo, Serralunga d'Alba, Magliano Alfieri, Roddi, Mango, and Benevello. It is also part of the circuit of "Castelli Aperti" of Lower Piedmont.
Bibliography
For further information on the Governor Castle, the curator Laura Moro has written two volumes: "The Governor Castle - Architecture" and "The Governor Castle - Apartments," published by Celid in Turin in 1999 and 2001 respectively.
Related Voices
The Governor Castle is part of the Savoy Residences in Piedmont, a series of seven important historical residences plus a fortified structure classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Other Projects
For further information on the Governor Castle, visit the following websites: www.castellodigovone.com;www.castelliaperti.it.
