The Castle and the Masino Park are located in a strategic position on the hill of the municipality of Caravino, The structure was built in the 11th century at the behest of the Valperga counts, a house that declared itself descendant of the King Arduino and who lived here for over ten centuries. Over the centuries it has undergone significant transformations, becoming a magnificent country estate that can still be visited and admired today.
Castello e Parco di Masino History
For over a thousand years, the Masino Castle has dominated the vast Canavese plain from a height in front of the suggestive moraine barrier of the Serra di Ivrea, an intact and infinite landscape. This strategic position cost the manor frequent disputes, but the noble house of the Valperga, which tradition has it descended from Arduino, known in legend as the first king of Italy, retained possession from the origins, documented as early as 1070.
Over the centuries the illustrious family converted the Castle into an aristocratic residence, then into an elegant holiday home. To tell this glorious past are the frescoed and lavishly furnished halls, the rooms for the ambassadors, the private apartments, the living rooms, the panoramic terraces: a refined display of seventeenth and eighteenth-century culture that also found expression in the rooms dedicated to the celebration of knowledge , like the precious library which preserves more than 25 thousand ancient volumes.
The Masino estate is also surrounded by a huge park, completely renovated between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries in a style defined in English. There is one of the largest mazes in Italy, a majestic tree-lined avenue, large clearings and scenic corners which in spring flood with exceptional blooms.
Going to visit Masino gives you a different experience every time: from visiting the Castle, according to different formulas, to a day outdoors to experience the Park or, again, one of the many events organized throughout the year, perhaps enjoying the panoramic cafeteria where you can take a sweet break admiring the gardens and terraces from above. Even in the company of children, who can have fun with the treasure hunt here or visit the Carriage Museum, the Tower of the Winds and other rooms designed for them.