Castello Ducale, Agliè, Italy

Agliè's main attraction is its Castello Ducale, one of the Residences of the Royal House of Savoy, listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Dating from the 12th century, it was originally a possession of the counts of San Martino. In the 17th century, it was turned into a rich residence by count Filippo d'Agliè, but was ravaged during the French invasion of 1706.

In 1765 it was acquired by Charles Emmanuel III of Savoy and sold to his son Benedetto of Savoy who had it radically renewed ten years later, under design by Ignazio Birago di Bòrgaro. Thenceforth it was a summer residence for the Kings of Sardinia. It was sold to the Italian state in 1939.

It has a monumental façade with two stairs and a fountain; the interior includes 300 rooms, mostly provided with contemporary furniture. The castle is surrounded by large English- and Italian-style gardens. It was used as the location for the Italian series Elisa di Rivombrosa as Rivombrosa.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

monilollyna (2 years ago)
Amazing Castle to visit, our guide Rosanna was amazing, she explained really well every room in the Castle. Gardens are beautiful and magical. it’s better to call and book the time for the visit. loved it!

Timothee Seban (2 years ago)
Very nice castle, even though we haven't been able to visit inside. Did a tour of the parc with the Horse carriage and it was awesome :)

v (2 years ago)
Considering the price of 12 Eur each, they should provide guide in English for not Italian speakers. Also, you need to book the visit beforehand and they do not accept payment via credit card, but only cash. Despite booking the visit at 3pm, they started it in delay, but to be fair the guide apologized and the visit was interesting.

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Roman Moško

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