Neo-Gothic villa · Piedmont

Miradolo Castle

Miradolo Castle is a historic building in San Secondo di Pinerolo, in the Piedmont region of Italy, set in the locality of Miradolo. It belonged to the counts Cacherano di Bricherasio, an extinct family of the old Piedmontese nobility noted for military honours as well as for philanthropy and patronage of the arts. Despite its name, the building is not strictly a castle but a country villa marked by neo-Gothic features that echo a traditional medieval castle.

At a glance

Type: Neo-Gothic country villa
Period: Historic noble residence
Style: Neo-Gothic
Location: San Secondo di Pinerolo, Piedmont, Italy

Overview

Miradolo Castle stands in the locality of Miradolo, in San Secondo di Pinerolo. Although called a castle, it is in fact a country villa shaped by neo-Gothic stylistic elements that recall medieval fortifications. Since 2008 it has been the seat of the Fondazione Cosso, which manages its renewed spaces.

History

The residence belonged to the counts Cacherano di Bricherasio, an extinct family of the ancient Piedmontese nobility. Some of its members held the title of viceroy of the House of Savoy, while the family also distinguished itself for philanthropy and artistic patronage. The villa passed through the family's long history before its later transformation into a cultural venue.

What you see

The building presents the appearance of a romantic country villa dressed in neo-Gothic detail, with features evoking a traditional medieval castle. It is surrounded by grounds that form part of the estate. The interiors have been renewed to host exhibitions and cultural programmes.

Cultural significance

Since 2008 Miradolo Castle has served as the home of the Fondazione Cosso, which stages cultural events of significance for the territory. The site links the heritage of the Cacherano di Bricherasio family with a contemporary programme of art and culture in Piedmont.

Practical information

Address: Miradolo, San Secondo di Pinerolo, Piedmont, Italy. Visits and exhibitions are managed by the Fondazione Cosso. Check the foundation's official website for opening hours, current exhibitions and ticketing.

Getting there

San Secondo di Pinerolo lies in the province of Turin, reached by road from Pinerolo and the Turin metropolitan area. The site is most easily accessed by car; regional rail and bus services connect Pinerolo with Turin.

Sources & resources

Historical events at this place (1)

2021 Oltre il giardino. L’abbecedario di Paolo Pejrone

The Mirad&ograve;lo Castle is a historic building in San Secondo di Pinerolo, located in the locality of Miradolo and belonged to the family of the Cacherano di Bricherasio counts, an extinct family of the ancient Piedmontese nobility distinguished for military honors, which boasted the title of viceroy of the Savoy for some of its members but who also distinguished himself for appreciable philanthropy and patronage activities.



Despite the name, the building is not really a castle but a country villa, albeit characterized by neo-Gothic stylistic elements that recall elements of a traditional medieval castle.



The original building dates back to the 15th century and was a country estate of the Marquis Massel di Caresana. Expanded and redesigned in 1866 at the behest of the Marquis Maurizio Massel di Caresana, it was given as a dowry to his daughter Teresa Massel on the occasion of the wedding with Count Luigi Cacherano di Bricherasio and from whose marriage Sofia and Emanuele were born, who soon became prominent figures of the nobility Turin in the early twentieth century.



Sofia was a pupil of the famous Piedmontese painter Lorenzo Delleani and delighted as a painter as well as a patron and philanthropist, making Miradolo and the Turin family residence one of the most renowned cultural &quot;salons&quot;, frequented by Delleani himself but also by the sculptor Leonardo Bistolfi, by the writer Edmondo De Amicis and by the cavalry captain Federico Caprilli, a close friend of the Bricherasio family.



His brother Emanuele, on the other hand, distinguished himself for his enterprising commitment in the nascent sector of the automotive industry, appearing among the founding partners of FIAT, whose deed of incorporation was signed in the Turin residence of the Bricherasio family, as depicted in a painting commissioned to Delleani himself.



The Bricherasio family regularly frequented this residence for long periods of holidays and hunting trips, even after the untimely death of their father Luigi; Delleani was assiduous and frequented by Federico Caprilli, who was also a friend and companion in arms of Emanuele himself at the Military Academy of Modena. Miradolo like Fub&igrave;ne, Uelloni and Palazzo Bricherasio in Turin, continued to be the fulcrum of a lively cultural ferment that involved many artists and intellectuals of the Piedmontese territory at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.



Following the mysterious disappearance of Emanuele Bricherasio, who died suddenly in Agli&egrave; in 1904 at the age of thirty-five, the eldest daughter Sofia and her elderly mother increasingly frequented this residence. However, in the last years of her life the Countess Sofia, now the last descendant without any heir, moved permanently to Miradolo and on her death in 1950 this building was also included in the rich testamentary legacy in favor of Don Orione&#39;s Little Work of Divine Providence. who used the structure first as a convent and then as a retirement home for the elderly.



After decades of abandonment, in 2007 the entire complex was purchased by the Cosso Foundation which, after a meticulous and extensive restoration project, established its operational headquarters and manages its spaces for the realization of exhibition events, concerts, conferences and projects. and making Miradolo again a cultural reference for the territory.



The first exhibition event of the Cosso Foundation was organized in 2008 with the setting up of an exhibition dedicated to Lorenzo Delleani and to that &quot;artistic cenacle&quot; that Sofia di Bricherasio loved to surround herself with, becoming its patron and fervent promoter.

https://culturalheritageonline.com/places/miradolo-castle-l4334/

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Miradòlo Castle