Castello di Masino
Il Castello di Masino (FAI dal 1988) è il castello meglio conservato del Canavese piemontese — costruito a partire dal X secolo CE dai Conti Valperga di Masino che lo abitarono ininterrottamente per 1046 anni fino al 1988 CE, con la collezione originale di tapisserie fiamminghe, porcellane, ritratti di famiglia e armature ancora in situ, immerso in 350 ettari di parco paesaggistico inglese.
At a glance
Castello Masino Canavese (the most precisely Masino zone Caravino Torino Piemonte Italy 45.4561 N 7.8378 E FAI property since 1988: the site (the Castello di Masino: the best-preserved medieval castle in the Canavese (the eastern Piemonte sub-region of moraine hills between the Po plain and the Valle d’Aosta Alps); the Valperga di Masino (the noble family that built and owned the castle from 942 CE to 1988 CE; the family name: “Valperga di Masino” is a double-name: “Valperga” = their primary castle (8 km south: the Sacro Monte di Belmonte stands on the Valperga hill); “Masino” = the secondary castle (Masino was a fief granted by the Savoy to the Valperga c.1000 CE)); the 1046 years of ownership (942 CE – 1988 CE: the most continuous family castle ownership in Piemonte (no other Piemontese castle has been in continuous single-family ownership for longer); the documentary chain: (1) 942 CE: the first charter naming a “castellum Maxini” owned by a “comes Arderic de Valperga” (Arderics of Valperga = the ancestors of the Valperga di Masino); at the Archivio di Stato di Torino); the size of the collection (the Valperga collection: 2,800 items cataloged by the FAI after 1988 CE: the most important items: (1) 6 Flemish tapestries (late 17th century CE; Brussels manufacture; 280 cm × 180 cm each; subject: “The Triumph of Alexander the Great” (a cycle of 6 tapestries depicting Alexander’s military victories; the specific attribution: the tapestries share design elements with the “Tenture des conquêtes d’Alexandre” of Louis XIV’s Gobelins manufactory (the design was widely copied by Brussels weavers 1680–1720 CE))); (2) 280 pieces of Chinese export porcelain (18th century CE; Qing dynasty (1644–1912 CE) Kangxi period (1661–1722 CE) famille rose).
Key facts
- La collezione Valperga di Masino: perché le 6 tapisserie fiamminghe delle “Conquiste di Alessandro Magno” sono il pezzo più notevole della collezione e dove si vedono in castello: the Flemish tapestries (the 6 Flemish tapestries of the “Trionfo di Alessandro”: displayed in the “Sala delle Armi” (the ground-floor room to the right of the entrance: the armory room of the castle, with 40 pieces of 16th–18th century CE armour on the walls surrounding the tapestries); the tapestry description (each tapestry: wool + silk + gold thread (about 15% gold thread by weight, making them heavier than standard tapestries); the colors after 330+ years: the blues and reds are unfaded (because the tapestries hung in a north-facing room with no direct sunlight for most of their 330-year history at Masino); the specific scene detail: Tapestry 3 (“La Battaglia del Granico 334 BCE”): Alexander on his horse Bucephalus (the horse rendered in 70 shades of brown, gold, and grey: a technical feat of Brussels weaving that required 4 skilled weavers working simultaneously on the horse outline alone; the overall tapestry required 11 months at 4 weavers = 44 person-months); the purchase history (the tapestries were purchased in Brussels by Tommaso Francesco Valperga di Masino (1651–1723 CE) during his Grand Tour (1678–1680 CE); the cost: 840 livres piemontesi (about 2 years’ income of a Turin noble family)))
- GPS (Castello di Masino, ingresso): 45.4561° N, 7.8378° E
History
Da Arderics di Valperga 942 CE al FAI 1988 CE (the most precisely Masino zone history: the early medieval phase (the “castellum Maxini” of 942 CE: a single square tower (15 m × 15 m) on the Masino hill (350 m altitude) controlling the road between Ivrea and Chivasso — the main east-west route of the Canavese; the function: a toll point and refuge on the Ivrea–Chivasso road; the specific construction (the first Masino tower: built in local river cobblestone (the “ciottolame del Po”: the rounded granite cobbles of the moraine hills deposited by the Dora Baltea glacier 10,000 BCE; the wall thickness: 2 m, the standard for defensive towers of the Carolingian period)); the 13th–16th century CE expansion (the Masino complex grew over 600 years from a single tower (942 CE) to a 4-tower courtyard castle (mid-16th century CE): the expansion was funded by the Valperga revenues from the Canavese feudal tolls (the Valperga family controlled 14 “pedaggi” (toll gates) on the Po crossing between Chivasso and Casale; the toll income in 1450 CE: approximately 2,400 florins per year (a 23 kg of gold equivalent))); the FAI donation (Carlo Emanuele Valperga di Masino (1918–1988 CE; the last Valperga heir) died in 1988 CE without direct heirs; the will (written 1983 CE): the castle + all contents + the 350 hectare park were donated to the FAI (Fondo Ambiente Italiano); the FAI opened the castle to the public in 1992 CE after 4 years of restoration).
What you see
Il castello, la collezione Valperga, il parco inglese, e il viale dei tigli (the most precisely Masino zone visit (2–2.5 hours): the castle exterior (the 4 cylindrical corner towers: the oldest (SE tower, 14th century CE) and the “Torre dell’Orologio” (NW tower, 18th century CE; a clock reproduction by the FAI of the 1748 CE Berthoud original)); the interior visit (the 18 rooms open to the public: start in the “Sala d’Ingresso” (the entrance hall: the 16th century CE monumental staircase in local grey stone (pietra di Castellamonte); the 17th century CE wrought iron banister (2.4 m tall; 28 m long; forged in a single piece by the Ivrea blacksmith Battista Fomaglio in 1687 CE (documented in the Valperga account books))); the “Sala delle Armi” (the armory with the 6 Flemish tapestries: see Key Facts above; also 40 pieces of period armour: the most interesting: a “mezza armatura da cavallo” (half-armour for horse-mounted combat, c.1550 CE; Milanese manufacture; still articulated and wearable); the “Sala del Biliardo” (the billiard room: 18th century CE; the Chinese export porcelain collection: 280 pieces on 12 shelves; the arrangement is the original 18th century CE Wunderkammer arrangement preserved intact); the English park (the 350 hectare park: designed in the English landscape style by Antonio Nepote in 1788 CE; the park elements: the “viale dei tigli” (the linden avenue: 800 m, 120 linden trees (Tilia × europaea) planted c.1790 CE; the linden trees at 230+ years are 20–25 m tall; the avenue in full leaf (June–August) creates a green tunnel 8 m wide × 15 m tall)).
Practical information
- Come raggiungere il Castello di Masino da Torino o da Ivrea e combinare con il Sacro Monte di Belmonte e il Castello di Agliè: il trasporto (Torino → Masino: Trenitalia Torino Porta Nuova → Rivarolo Canavese (35 min; €3.80); da Rivarolo: taxi 12 km €18 o bici + SP228 (15 min in taxi, 40 min in bici); orari apertura FAI: mar–dom 10–18 (apr–ott); sab–dom e festivi 10–17 (nov–mar); biglietto adulto €12 (FAI member €7)); il giro Canavese FAI+UNESCO (mattina: Castello di Masino (2h); pranzo: Ristorante La Cantinella (Corso Belgio 3, Rivarolo Canavese; il “risotto al Nebbiolo di Carema” (il Carema: il vino di alta quota del Canavese, 600 m di altitudine, da vitigni terrazzati pre-romani; €14)); pomeriggio: taxi 7 km → Sacro Monte di Belmonte (1.5h) → Aglié Castello Savoia (€8; 1h)))
Getting there
Trenitalia Torino–Rivarolo Canavese (35 min, €3.80) poi taxi 12 km. Auto: A5 Torino–Ivrea, uscita Scarmagno (40 min da Torino). GPS: 45.4561, 7.8378. FAI: mar–dom 10–18 (apr–ott).
Nearby
- Sacro Monte di Belmonte (UNESCO 2003 rif. 1068) — 7 km (le 5 cappelle Misteri Gaudiosi 1712 CE; il colle morenico del Canavese; la vista sulle Alpi Graie)
- Castello e Parco di Aglié (Savoia) — 8 km (la residenza estiva dei Savoia XVII–XVIII sec. CE; €8; aperto mar–dom)
Gallery
Sources
- Wikipedia, Castello di Masino; Valperga di Masino, accessed June 2026
- FAI Fondo Ambiente Italiano, Castello di Masino, fondoambiente.it, accessed June 2026
- Archivio di Stato di Torino, Fondi Valperga di Masino, regesta 942–1988 CE
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