"Sorge nel cuore del Canavese quel Capo d'Opera, profondo così ne' fondamenti, che pare minacci il Tartaro; e così alto nelle sue cime, che aspira al Cielo. Una turba d'ingegnosi Ingegneri logorarono l'ingegno nell'inventarne la forma; e un esercito d'Operieri per più Lustri v'ha faticato ne' penosi lavori. [...] Sono gli Atrii spaziosi Teatri; Son le piazze interminati corsi; Son le Scale monti sopra monti di pietre; Le Sale interi Palagi; Li Pavimenti riflessi d'un Cielo stellato, e un Cielo i Soffitti.".
The stereotype of the Castle of Agliè is to be found in its grand façade, which is tightly held between the two towers reflected in the waters of the circular fountain in the Lower Garden. The fountain is the important hinge between the romantic English garden, on the right, and what was (until the early the 17th century) the large Italian garden on the left of the Castle. There are still signs of the geometries, the flowerbeds, and the parterres that once filled it. The sumptuous residence of Filippo di San Martino d’Agliè covers an area of 5,000 m2 on each of its four floors. The Palazzo has a double exposure: towards the town and towards the gardens and the Turin plain. Standing on the first hilly offshoots of the Serra d’Ivrea, it is in a slightly raised position with respect to the latter.
The Castle was probably built as early as the eleventh century, when the San Martino family began to exert their supremacy over the territory.
During the years when Maria Cristina di Francia was regent, Filippo di San Martino, a leading figure in political and artistic circles in Turin, created an imposing residence in his native land (even though there were already many castles there); a residence that could stand up to comparison with the magnificence of the Royal Palace in Turin.
Some of the most important artists of the court were sent to Agliè from Turin, starting with the architect Amedeo di Castellamonte, from the Canavese, who is credited with the large construction
The central nucleus of the Castle of Agliè is the Ballroom or Salon of King Arduino. On the vault are frescoes painted by Giovanni Paolo Recchi that tell the story of the descent of the San Martino lineage from the mythical Marquis d’Ivrea, who became King of Italy in 1002 and whose ashes were kept here for some centuries.
The construction of the Castle, the Garden and the Park took place over the course of about six centuries to which is associated the transformations of the green areas, which were always in step with the changing events and the fortunes of the Castle in each epoch.
The Park can currently be used in the summer season from May to October, although occasionally closed because of bad weather.
The Garden was best conserved during the middle of the 20th century. Like the Park, it can be visited in the summer and also in the winter now, on Sundays and public holidays (as of the winter of 2003-2004). Touring the Garden in the winter is particularly fascinating as the public has the chance to see the greenhouses being used for what they were designed for, such as sheltering potted plants.
Indirizzo: Piazza Castello 1, Agliè (Torino)