Hours, Tickets & Acess
History of the castle
Roppolo appeared for the very first time in the historical archives in 761 under the name of "Roppoli". It was not until in 816 that it appeared in the historical archives with its actual name "Roppolo". Later in 963, the castle was in the possession of two families of Roppolo and also the neighboring Counts of Cavaglia.
Through the years, originally a wooden fortress with only a tower built with bricks, Roppolo became an important fortress located at the frontier with the Ivrea Region. The castle is well known to have been one of the major fortified points of the “chiuse Langobards” of the region of the Canavese. The Langoboards (also known as Lombards or Longobards), originated from the south of Sweden, dominated Italy from the VI to VIII centuries, were challenged with continued threats from France who attempted continuously to conquer this region. The wars launched by the king Pepin and his grand-son Carlo Magno (Charles the Main) were a big concern to the Longobards, which pushed the longobards to build a strong defense system with towers and fortified walls along the important passes through the Alps. The actual castle of Roppolo is the last witness of the architecture styles of that time, where an important battle took place in the year of 781.
The actual castle is the result of several important transformations. The tower is reputed to date back to longobardian times and was used during all the medieval period as a dungeon. The external walls of the castle dates back to the 10th century when the interiors are mainly from the 12th and 14th centuries. The castle has been several times refurbished and the actual rooms mostly date back to the XVIIe and XIXe centuries with the original structures and walls of the XII century.
All Videos
The castle has always been the property of Italian prestigious families such as the Bichieri, the Viconti, the Savoia and the Valperga. Now the castle is the property of the Saletta. The interior of the castle exhibits today rich collections in antique furniture and artworks of noble residence, one of the excellent examples of private sumptuous residence in Piemonte.
A visit to the castle will bring you to the past and will show you the way that aristocratic families lived during centuries. Through objects and architecture, you will discover the long history and rich culture of this region, very well known for wine and food. Roppolo offers to visitors a huge Art collection composed of hundreds of paintings, sculptures and furniture representing the long and refined history of the castele.
The admirers of Napoleon Bonaparte will be able to visit the room and the original furniture where the emperor slept in 1809; the medieval lovers will find many details of this period with splendid painted ceilings; the wine lovers will explore the fresh undergrounds of the castle used during almost 1000 years to produce the great wines of the area; the history lovers will find here a good way to explore the long Italian and Savoia existence and the local treasures.
The castle is unique in the way that the owner opens the place to public while preserving and reproducing the natural and authentical way of aristocratic living at that time, putting in place all the daily objects, carpets and furniture, offering the visitors the unique experiences to visit a private aristocratic house.
