Castello di Serralunga d'Alba

About the museum

The castle of Serralunga d’Alba dominates one of the most intact villages of the Langhe and is considered one of the best-preserved examples of a 14th-century noble castle in Piedmont. Its structure recalls that of a French donjon. It was built between 1340, the year in which the Falletti family received the fief as a reward for military services, and 1357, the date of a document recording a sale concluded in a room of the castle.

The complex, which already had its characteristic features by the end of the 14th century, includes the palacium with large superimposed halls, the cylindrical tower, the hanging tower (torre pensile), the square-based tower and the courtyard with the drawbridge. In the great hall at courtyard level the lord administered justice; here one sees the coffered ceiling and a small votive chapel with frescoes attributable to the 15th century. On the upper floor are the residential rooms, with three fireplaces and a latrine built into the thickness of the wall, while on the third floor runs the wall walk (cammino di ronda).

Rarely altered and never transformed, the castle has come down to us in its original medieval structure. Between the 19th and 20th centuries it was used mainly as an agricultural store by the Opera Pia Barolo, founded by Juliette Colbert, last marchioness Falletti di Barolo. In 1949 it was bought by the State; today it is a state property under the Regional Directorate of the National Museums of Piedmont and is managed by the Barolo & Castles Foundation.

Highlights

• Fourteenth-century French-style donjon structure
• Sala di giustizia with coffered ceiling
• Votive chapel with frescoes attributable to the 15th century
• Cylindrical tower, hanging tower and drawbridge
• Wall walk with views over the Langhe as far as the Alpine arc

Permanent exhibition

• Visita guidata al castello – 45-minute guided route through the Sala di giustizia, chapel, residential rooms, towers and wall walk of the 14th-century castle.

Operated by

Barolo & Castles Foundation (bene statale, Direzione regionale Musei nazionali del Piemonte)

Visitors per year

approx. 15,916

Admission & discounts

Free admission for holders of the Abbonamento Musei Piemonte e Valle d’Aosta, teachers at Italian schools with certification, Ministry of Culture staff, ICOM members, journalists with a professional card and tourist guides. Single tickets are paid on site on the day of the visit.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: not available
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The castle stands on top of a hill and is reached by a cobbled uphill climb. People with severe motor disabilities can drive up to the entrance and visit the outer courtyard, but insurmountable architectural barriers prevent access to the interiors. Dogs are admitted on a lead.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Stroller-friendly: not available

For children aged 6 to 12 the illustrated booklet “CIAO!” is available at the ticket office (€3, also in English, French, German and Flemish); periodic activities such as “Medioevo in famiglia” are offered. Because of architectural barriers, pushchairs cannot enter the castle, but they can be left in custody at the ticket office; younger children should be held by the hand.

Getting there & parking

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

Rental of spaces for private events; enquiries to spazi@barolofoundation.it.

Plan your visit