Il castello di Serralunga d’Alba, in the province of Cuneo, is today considered one of the best-preserved examples of a 14th-century noble castle in Piedmont. Positioned on the ridge of the hill, it overlooks the village that stands at 415 meters above sea level, dominating the characteristic borough and its famous vineyards, in one of the most interesting and rapidly developing tourist areas of the region.
The ancient manor is an indelible symbol of this landscape, immediately striking for the verticality and soaring qualities of its Gothic architecture. In the 12th century – when the descendants of Bonifacio del Vasto, Bonifacio Minore, and Ottone del Carretto were the lords of the area – a tower overlooked and defended the borough. After being purchased in 1190 by Manfredo di Saluzzo, the fief passed to the Falletti of Barolo, an important noble family of the Langhe: in 1340 Petrino Falletti had the tower demolished, which made way for the current castle.
Since its construction, very few modifications have been made to the building; it did not suffer major military actions and was never converted into a holiday residence, thus maintaining the structure of a medieval fortress unchanged. The castle had a function, more than military, of controlling local productive activities, as demonstrated by its very slender structure, designed to emphasize the prestige of the Falletti family in this way. A unique case on Italian territory of a donjon in the French style, it consists of several parts, including the Palacium, a compact and elongated block made up of large stacked halls, a cylindrical tower featuring the most innovative characteristics of 14th-century military architecture, a square tower, and a chapel, a small space with a barrel vault and frescoes dating from the mid-15th century depicting the Martyrdom of Saint Catherine of Alexandria. Inside, some large fireplaces and wooden ceilings are the only surviving evidence of the original furnishings.
The castle was purchased by the State in 1949: important restoration work was then launched. Since 2015 it has been under the supervision of the Polo Museale del Piemonte.
Information about Castello di Serralunga d’Alba
Via del Castello, 1
12050 Serralunga d’Alba (Cuneo)
0173 613358
info@castellodiserralunga.it
https://www.polomusealepiemonte.beniculturali.it
Source: MIBACT
