CASTELLI TAPPARELLI D’AZEGLIO DI LAGNASCO

The Tapparelli d'Azeglio Castles in Lagnasco are presented in a multifaceted setting of architecture ranging from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, with no lack of 18th-century elements. The interiors feature two 16th-century fresco cycles of considerable interest: the one on the east side picks up on medieval restlessness through grotesques, while the one on the west side turns to classical mythology. The Castles of Lagnasco, an unexpected treasure chest of wonders, are a splendid testimony to centuries of artistic and architectural evolution, defined by several authoritative voices as the most important Renaissance monument in north-western Italy. The Castelli are a castellated complex comprising three different buildings, which were created at the end of the 12th century and developed until the 17th century. The official residence of the Seignory of the Tapparelli family from the second half of the 14th century, the Castles saw the period of greatest architectural and artistic renovation in the 16th century. On the death of the last descendant of the Seignory, Emanuele d'Azeglio Tapparelli, in 1891, the Castles and lands were put at the disposal of the community, in accordance with the wishes of a man who was noble in spirit as well as in rank.