Castello di Moncrivello

The Castle of Moncrivello dei Marchesi del Carretto is a medieval fortification located in a strategic position. Over time, it has been transformed and still retains all the refinement of a noble residence.
The history of the castle sinks its origins until the year one thousand and the bitter medieval clashes between Guelphs and Ghibellines are part of its memories. Federico Barbarossa entrusted him to the control of the episcopate of Vercelli in 1152. It was then disputed by the Marquises of Monferrato, who took possession of it in 1243. Returned to the hands of the Vercellese church in 1300, it became a fief of the Fieschi family of the Bishops following the papal investiture of Boniface IX in 1394.
In the XIII century Moncrivello already had a fortified fortress and, although it was sold to the town of Vercelli, it remained under the jurisdiction of the Vercelli diocese. In 1399, after a brief period of hegemony by Antonio Fieschi - of the Fieschi family of Genoa - unhappy to the point of provoking the onset of the people of the village, the jurisdiction passed to the Savoy, in the person of Amedeo VIII.
At that time the stronghold maintained essentially a military role. The large quadrangular tower has been preserved from this period, with ornate windows in terracotta and machicolations, which, crossed by a driveway, leads into the courtyard of the castle.
It was the energetic Iolanda di Savoia, also known as Iolanda di Francia, (1436 - 1478), wife of Amedeo IX of Savoia and daughter of Charles VII of France, who transformed the stronghold into a real noble residence. The castle of Moncrivello became the favorite residence of Jolanda; here the duchess died in 1478.
From this transformation come the boundary walls decorated with dovetail merlons, and inside, the helical staircase, the coffered ceilings, the terracotta fireplaces.
The renovation of the castle commissioned by Jolanda had just ended when the wedding was celebrated between Charles I of Savoy and Bianca di Monferrato (1472 - 1519) who, widowed in 1490 at only eighteen years, was then regent of the Savoy State.
Charles II of Savoy called the Good (1504-1553) donated the castle to his bride, Beatrice of Portugal. With her he finished the period of maximum splendor of the castle: the fights between France and Spain caused its passage in the hands of men of arms; it was then long disputed during the seventeenth century among various Piedmontese noble families.
A memorable episode was in 1650 the battle with which the attack by the Spaniards was rejected, thanks to its robust fortified architecture, and the sacking of Moncrivello was thus avoided.
Passed definitively in 1692 to the Del Carretto family, it remained there until 1817 (or 1825) when the castle suffered a devastating fire. Then began a long period of degradation, completed in 1972 when it was rebuilt by private individuals.
From 1972 began the restoration by the Cav. Giovanni De Francisco who allowed to open the castle to visits, cultural events and ceremonies. The castle can be visited today and is used for cultural initiatives and tourism promotion. The structure will welcome you in its elegant environments, so you can move between the charming medieval halls, with capacity for up to 150 guests, and the green of the park surrounded by crenellated walls. The church of the fifteenth century in the adjacent square and hill sanctuary nearby will welcome your ceremony in a unique setting. The Castle also offers the possibility of celebrating civil marriage with legal validity.