THE HISTORY
The ancient Guidobono Cavalchini Castle was built by Umberto III il Beato di Savoia around the year 1171.
The inhabited central portion of the castle has undergone various extensions and changes in design over the past centuries. The original castle included five circular towers, which one accessed through a drawbridge. A large cliff made the castle inaccessible on the side facing the river Dora. During the 13th century, it was to a large extent destroyed by the people of Turin, as part of their war against Tommaso di Savoia and reconstructed at the end of the century by Guglielmo VII di Monferrato.
The castle and the surrounding feudal territory of Collegno belonged to a branch of the princes of Acaja of the House of Savoy, counts of Collegno. After the last prince of Acaja of the House of Savoy died heirless, Carlo Emanuele I Duke of Savoy gave the feudal territory to Giovanni Francesco Provana di Carignano who thus became in 1599 the first Count Provana di Collegno.
LA STORIA
The ancient Guidobono Cavalchini Castle was built by Umberto III il Beato di Savoia around the year 1171.
The inhabited central portion of the castle has undergone various extensions and changes in design over the past centuries. The original castle included five circular towers, which one accessed through a drawbridge. A large cliff made the castle inaccessible on the side facing the river Dora. During the 13th century, it was to a large extent destroyed by the people of Turin, as part of their war against Tommaso di Savoia and reconstructed at the end of the century by Guglielmo VII di Monferrato.
The castle and the surrounding feudal territory of Collegno belonged to a branch of the princes of Acaja of the House of Savoy, counts of Collegno. After the last prince of Acaja of the House of Savoy died heirless, Carlo Emanuele I Duke of Savoy gave the feudal territory to Giovanni Francesco Provana di Carignano who thus became in 1599 the first Count Provana di Collegno.
His son Ottavio initiated extension works to add to the medieval castle a part strongly influenced by the architect Guarino Guarini. Subsequent Wars slowed down the construction works and these were restarted by a project of Filippo Juvarra after 1720, then again stopped for a long period.
After the restoration of the Sabauda Monarchy in Piedmont, Juvarra’s project was entrusted to the architect Alberto Talucchi who, significantly reducing the dimensions, but respecting the architectural intentions, completed the castle as it stands today.
His son Ottavio initiated extension works to add to the medieval castle a part strongly influenced by the architect Guarino Guarini. Subsequent Wars slowed down the construction works and these were restarted by a project of Filippo Juvarra after 1720, then again stopped for a long period.
After the restoration of the Sabauda Monarchy in Piedmont, Juvarra’s project was entrusted to the architect Alberto Talucchi who, significantly reducing the dimensions, but respecting the architectural intentions, completed the castle as it stands today.
The ancient castle remained a property of the Provana family until 1878 when Luisa, the last descendant of the first-born branch married Alessandro Guidobono Garofoli, Baron of the Holy Roman Empire, Count of Sciolze and Lord of Carbonara, from a very ancient Tortona family.
That is how the castle came to belong to the family whose descendants still reside there today.
The ancient castle remained a property of the Provana family until 1878 when Luisa, the last descendant of the first-born branch married Alessandro Guidobono Garofoli, Baron of the Holy Roman Empire, Count of Sciolze and Lord of Carbonara, from a very ancient Tortona family.
That is how the castle came to belong to the family whose descendants still reside there today.