This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)

On the sweet and gentle hills of Marentino, a historic town located along the ridge on the border between the hills of Turin and lower Monferrato, there’s an elegant and contemporary residence: Maiolo castle.

This large property once belonged to two distinct families, and about fifteen years ago it was bought by an important family from Turin who thoroughly renovated it as their own private residence.

The large park, of about 25 acres, consists of a formal part, adjacent to the villa and an informal area with a winding shape of particular naturalistic interest. The latter is part of an evocative and unique continuum with the surrounding rural landscape; there are fruit trees for kiwifruits, apricots, figs, walnuts, apples, pears, and small fruits such as blueberries and currants.

On the fascinating hills surrounding Maiolo castle, there are also numerous and valuable varieties of vines, some of which produce common grapes, while others are used for an excellent wine enjoyed by their owners.

The garden layout was masterfully designed and built by an important contemporary artist – Carlo Maria Maggia. Its peculiar structure came from the skilful management of space which arranged the different sections of the green areas on different spatial planes, communicating with each other.

The garden features two main sections: one internal and the other external; the first is made of two internal courtyards arranged on two levels. The courtyard adjacent to the castle is basically a rectangular terrace with a pond in the centre, housing aquatic plants such as water lilies and lotus flowers. At its four corners, there are hedges of rosemary.
Rosmarinus officinalis, an evergreen shrub, with its straight posture and sleek aromatic leaves can be found all over the garden, as a sort of leitmotif connecting all the different areas.

The second internal courtyard is another quadrangular terrace, located on the lower level and connected to the first by an elegant staircase; it is a cosy spot, dedicated to reading and resting.
The terrace is paved with river pebbles and bordered by climbing roses along the brick walls.
Palm trees give it an exotic atmosphere, evoking faraway places and exotic flights of fantasy.
The four neatly arranged specimens of Trachicarpus fortune are surrounded by soft cushions of rosemary.
The other part of the garden faces outwards and also consists of a large terrace with magnificent specimens of magnolias and persimmons, including the park below. The park was inspired by natural-shaped models where nature is the predominant element developing on hilly and winding shapes. The designer was, therefore, a true lover of nature, as he always stated on more than one occasion: “I work on natural themes, enhancing the natural component, I borrow the elements from the environment to create my sculptures” (Carlo Maria Maggia).

The park also features an unexpected glass greenhouse with several vegetable species (lettuce, “radicchio”, parsley, carrots, and tomatoes).
On a cold and dull winter day, visitors would be still mesmerized by the wooden boxes of different shapes, coloured in burgundy – in the spring, they would show vegetables and small fruits such as strawberries.

In the castle of Maiolo everything coexists with poetry and lightheartedness; its different parts communicate with each other, sharing colours, happiness and imagination.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)