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Montecavallo Castle in Vigliano Biellese, in the province of Biella, was built by Filiberto Avogadro di Collobiano around 1830, on the remains of a previous stronghold of his family dating back to 1200.

The castle is undoubtedly a precious example of the neo-Gothic style in Italy and, in particular, of the local interpretation of it in the area around Biella; back then, it was regarded as an avant-garde building according to the new European architectural trends inspired by the Middle Ages, which led to a reinterpretation of the Gothic style, especially in France, Germany and England.

Filiberto, an illuminated a creative nobleman, tasked architect Alphonse Dupuy with redesigning the whole structure as a square-plan building, with crenellated towers, an evocative neo-Gothic gallery and a chapel. The Gallery is one of the most interesting features: framed by a series of ogival vaults, it receives the light from large French doors overlooking a typical Italian garden.
The chapel, small in size, gives a feeling of grandeur and awe, as the Gothic canons required.
The interiors of the castle were also redone and furnished by Dupuy in the style of the time; the library is particularly beautiful and evocative.

The park

Around Montecavallo Castle, there’s the formal garden, with the boxwood parterre, and an English-style park, featuring patches of shrubs and tall trees. The XIX century ice hut is still visible – it used to serve as a food storage facility, as well as provide ice to the hospital in Biella.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)