Castel Savoia Italy
The Valle d’Aosta Region is famed for its panoramic vistas, clean Alpine mountain air, glacial lakes, and great nature trails.
More than that, it is also known as the ‘Land of the Castles’, a reputation gained because of the huge number of great and majestic palatial homes in the quiet towns and cities here.
Yet, some of these castles are rather young.
With the coming of gunpowder technology, castles ceased to be the solution to an invader’s assaults. Yet, for the nobility, to own such a majestic thing was well worth the venture.
Today, let’s take a trip to Castel Savoia, one of the most gorgeous of the castles in the area, while definitely more a vanity project than an actual defensive structure, her graceful setting, appearance, and story are more than enough for the many who travel to this region just for her castles.
A Short History of Castel Savoia
Built in the 19th century, Castel Savoia was intended to be the Summer home of Queen Margherita, consort to King Umberto I of Savoy.
Most of the region was lovely, but it was Gressoney Valley that was settled as the place to build the palatial home.
They do not let you take videos while inside, so the descriptions might not be up to the task.
Even so, the project drew in many artists and experts, resulting in neo-medieval furniture, stained-glass windows, wooden ceilings, and rocky garden grounds covered in conifer trees.
Sadly, the Queen experienced a tragedy when a friend of hers, Baron Luigi Beck, lost his life on the mountain trails one day. This experience would go on to prevent the Queen from ever walking the trails again over the rest of her lifetime.
The Castle
The first thing that hits you is the grand wooden staircase. It is designed to appear like a double-helix, with multiple panels depicting animals and flora. The second thing you might notice is the strange mix of artistic styles from different eras, in this case, Art Nouveau and Renaissance Revivalism. The paneled ceilings, decoration works, and artistic style on walls, fireplaces, and frames were Medieval in style, altogether, an eclectic mix meant to draw the eye and discussions on art.
And did I mention the portraits?
The most famous one is of the Queen, set against the backdrop of the mountains and establishing her taste for the wild outdoors. The room the life-sized portrait is displayed within is also an artistic marvel. The doors are engraved with graceful panels of images, the columns are a mix of the Orders, and the ceilings are meant to mimic both vaulted and wooden ceilings.
According to lore, the Queen would go on ahead to stamp her mark on Castel Savoia. Her motif, a flower with her name, is all over the place. Moreover, her influence would encourage other nobility to come into the region and either copy or try to out-match her influence.
Castle Exterior
Finally, it is the exterior of the Castle that draws a lot of attention. The pointy towers simply look too magical and fantastical to be real, and I am sure, were much of the inspiration behind many a fantasy story.
Moreover, their white marble appearance, on top of the snow and the canopy of trees around them, gives them a hidden depth and mystery you are drawn to explore.
Today, there is a botanical garden set alongside the Castle, a selection of local and regional Alpine flora that give the formerly rocky garden a more lively look when in bloom.
How to get to Castel Savoia
You exit the A5 at Pont-Saint-Martin, drive up to Gressoney-Saint-Jean, then keep an eye out for Castel Savoia.
Opening Times
October – March from 10.00 am – 13.00 pm and from 14.00 pm – 17.00 pm.
April – September from 9.00 am – 19.00 am
The Castle closes on Christmas Day and New Year as well.
Closing
Spending more than 2 hours here is more than enough to capture the Castle’s grace and eclectic beauty, so I would advise spending the rest of the day on a mountain or nature trail here, or sipping a warm cup of coffee while taking in the snow-capped peaks and mountain air.
All in all, Castel Savoia is one place well worth planning in your itinerary and budget. Watch the tour of Castel Savoia on my YouTube Channel and don’t forget to subscribe to my channel, I post weekly both here on my blog and the channel, giving tips to travel in Italy.
That’s it for today and always remember, travel safe and travel light!
