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This castle stands on a rocky promontory facing the orchards that cover the adjacent plain, the Municipality of Saint-Pierre, and the Dora Baltea River.
Sarriod de la Tour castle was built in the XIII century by the Sarriod family, who owned it until 1921. Originally, the castle included the keep surrounded by a wall. Later on, Jean Sarriod had the tower called “turris Sariodorum” enlarged, with the addition of new buildings, the spiral staircase to the southeast corner of the keep and the typical cross windows in the donjon. The walls were equipped with round defensive turrets and a new entrance was opened on the eastern side with an elegant portal; the latter was carved with the Sarriod de la Tour coat of arms. In the XVI century, the dovecote tower was also added.

A very interesting room of the castle is the “Hall of the heads”, featuring 171 shelves carved into the ceiling. Visitors should also admire the chapel paintings dating back to the XIII century depicting the Adoration of the Kings, two real-size saints and two bifid-tailed mermaids, as well as the fantastic figure of the “cricket” and the arrival of Jesus Christ to Jerusalem, the Crucifixion, the “Arma Christi”, and “Hell”.
At the southern end, opposite the access door, there are the three golden heads of Saint Michael, Saint Catherine and Saint Margaret.

In 1921, following the disappearance of the Sarriod dynasty, the castle was acquired by Senator Bensa from Genoa, and since 1970 it has belonged to the regional administration.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)