Castello di Guarene

Guarene Castle is an eighteenth-century Baroque residence built above the Tanaro valley on the site of a medieval fortress. Begun in 1726 by Count Carlo Giacinto Roero, a pupil of Filippo Juvarra, it is known for its frescoed rooms, Italian gardens and the chapel of Santa Teresa.

Why it matters

The castle records a change in the role of an aristocratic residence: Count Carlo Giacinto Roero replaced the medieval fortress with a palace designed for domestic life and display. Fifteen frescoed rooms, the Italian gardens and the chapel of Santa Teresa preserve the artistic ambitions of the Roero family. The building later passed to the Provana di Collegno family and was restored in the twenty-first century for hospitality use.

What to notice

The three-storey Baroque residence dominates the hill village. Its interior preserves frescoed rooms, period furnishings and rooms including a library and Chinese rooms. The terraced Italian gardens date to around 1740. The elliptical chapel of Santa Teresa, completed in 1778 to a design by Filippo Castelli, contains wooden works by Francesco Boselli and an altarpiece depicting the saint.

Context and history

Carlo Giacinto Roero began the palace in 1726 after the medieval fortress was demolished. Following his death in 1749, his son Traiano Giuseppe continued the work and commissioned the chapel of Santa Teresa. Italian gardens were laid out around 1740. The property later passed to the Provana di Collegno family. A restoration begun by new owners in 2011 adapted the castle for hospitality while retaining its historic interiors and museum character.