Medieval Fortress Transformed by Family's Passion

Step back in time at Castello di Gabiano, a defensive fortress built on the estate of one of the wealthiest landowners. According to the source material, it was originally a sturdy barracks connected to a ricetto. The castle dates back to the 9th century when it was established as a fortification to control trade routes crossing the Po river. Over the centuries, it passed through the hands of the Monferrat dynasties including the Montiglio, the Aleramici, the Paleologi, and the Gonzaga. Finally, in the 17th century, it landed in the hands of the Durazzo family.

According to the source material, Agostino Durazzo was granted the village and its castle as a fief in 1624, along with the title of Marquis. From that moment, the Durazzo family’s history became inextricably linked with that of the castle, with the family overseeing its embellishment and the enhancement of the local winemaking tradition.

Promising to preserve the castle, its owners Giacomo Durazzo Pallavicini and Matilde Giustiniani commissioned its meticulous restoration beginning in 1907. Architect Lamberto Cusani carried out a historically faithful reconstruction of the castle and the medieval village, applying the teachings of Alfredo d’Andrade, the architect behind the Borgo Medioevale in Turin.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons