Castello del Roccolo

About the museum

The Castello del Roccolo takes its name from the “roccoli”, the nets used to catch small birds, and stands on the hills behind Busca. It was built from 1831 at the wish of Marquis Roberto Taparelli d’Azeglio, brother of Massimo d’Azeglio, and of his wife Costanza Alfieri di Sostegno. It is one of the most significant examples of the neo-medieval revival in the territory of the Marquisate of Saluzzo, with a crenellated tower, stables with a medieval look and a façade recalling English neo-Gothic houses.

The interiors retain trompe-l’œil and stucco decorations, landscape views, stained glass and, in part, furnishings from the workshop of the cabinetmaker Gabriele Capello, known as Moncalvo. The nearby chapel holds some 16th-century choir stalls, bought by the marquis from the marquisal chapel of Revello.

The castle is surrounded by a centuries-old park of 50 hectares, with an Italian-style garden on the terraces, a lake, grottoes, waterfalls and the monumental greenhouses built between 1846 and 1850 and restored in 2003. Among the guests of the marquises were Silvio Pellico, Cavour, King Umberto I and Queen Margherita. Since 2016 the property has been run by the Associazione Castello del Roccolo.

Highlights

• Original interiors: entrance staircase, grand hall, dining room and loggia
• Crenellated tower and neo-Gothic façade between two round towers
• Nineteenth-century monumental greenhouses
• 50-hectare romantic park with lake and panoramic terrace
• Chapel with 16th-century choir stalls

Permanent exhibition

• Castello e parco del Roccolo – Guided visit to the original interiors of the neo-medieval castle and to the park with greenhouses, lake and panoramic terrace.

Operated by

Associazione Castello del Roccolo aps

Visitors per year

approx. 2,500

Admission & discounts

Rates valid for the park and castle visit on regular opening days. Residents of Busca with ID enter the park free of charge. Journalists are admitted free with press accreditation, requested at info@castellodelroccolo.it.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

By car via the A6 Turin–Savona motorway, exit Marene–Savigliano–Costigliole–Busca.

Amenities & dining

• Café: not available
• Restaurant: not available

There are no refreshment points or drinking fountains: it is advisable to bring water.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

The site promotes the castle and park as a setting for events and for photo and video services.

Plan your visit