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The construction of the village and the castle of Bergamasco, in the provinces of Alessandria, dates back at least to the year 1000. In the following five centuries they were the property of the Marquisate of Incisa, representing an important stronghold.
With the end of the Marquisate in 1514, the village and the fortress were almost completely destroyed by the Marquis of Monferrato Guglielmo IX Paleologo and passed under the domination of the latter’s family. Eventually, the Gonzaga-Nevers family of Mantua acquired them both.

In 1662, Marquis Moscheni transformed the stronghold into a residential manor, softening it with a small hanging garden on the top of a high retaining wall.
In 1708, the palace and the surrounding lands became part of the Savoy Kingdom.
It now currently belongs to the set designer Carlo Leva, head of the scenography department at Titanus in the early 1960s (as revealed by the collection of memorabilia kept inside the residence).

The garden

Although limited in size, the hanging garden still retains its original bond with the very architecture of the palace. It is divided by paths of beaten earth bordered by brick elements, while the main avenue is covered by a pergola of wisteria and roses.
The oldest species present in the garden include a cedar about 160 years old, a yew ( Taxus baccata ), and a Japanese pagoda tree (Styphnolobium japonicum ); the specimen of Magnolia grandiflora and the fruit trees, on the other hand, are more recent.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)