Castle from the 12th Century near Lake Garda

If you’ve always dreamt of getting lost inside the ancient walls of an old castle, surrounded by woods, this is your chance to be part of history and fairy tale.

This amazing property, once in the middle of a wood, currently not too far from town and services, is placed on top of a rock, overlooking and dominating the village below, with a view over Lake Garda and the surrounding mountains. It all has a unique look, as if the mountain was rising up, and suddenly turned into a fortress and the forest of oak trees around it would begin to vibrate slightly.

Being an original and traditional castle, the entrance is via a gate and a private road defined by the castle walls and the rock ridge.

The Castle

Entering the property you immediately notice the care in the maintenance of the outdoor spaces, including the court where the ancient well stands. Also the small church dedicated to St. Nicholas is very interesting. The church, the frescoes and paintings inside it are in good conditions and you can admire the coats of arms of the noble family, that once owned the castle.

The property is made of 2 parts, both with a unique charm:

The first one is the castle from the 12th century. The total area is 1.675 sqm almost totally collapsed, with a 20 mts high tower still accessible. From the top of the tower you can see Lake Garda.

The second part is a castle from the 16th century. The total area is about 1.500 sqm with several rooms and bedrooms and a huge 270 sqm salon on the second floor. This part was fully restored during the ’60s with great respect of the original structure and features of the castle, up to the extent that it looks as if the restoration is much more recent.

You enter the ground floor via an original wood door, passing beside the fresco of Joan of Arc. Here there is a spacious entrance hall, connecting to the grand salons: the sitting room features a fireplace and lovely covered balcony overlooking the “evening garden”. From here you enter the spacious dining room with oak-wood table accommodating over 20 people, then you pass to the parlor with big fireplace.

The kitchen is accessible both internally and externally, so that you and your guests will not be disturbed by the coming and going of the staff bringing food supplies.

On the upper floor there is the sleeping area with 9 bedrooms, 8 bathrooms and 2 beautiful suites. All bedrooms feature an en-suite bathroom, except for 2 bedrooms, which share a common bathroom.

The most beautiful bedroom is the one with direct exit out to the stone walkway that runs along the inner walls of the castle and featuring a lovely double lancet window, as well as coffered wooden ceilings and wall paintings.

On the top floor there are 2 additional rooms and the huge 270 sq.m. salon. It is unrestored, so it could be finished as you like, maybe by creating a big ballroom to complete the princely appearance of the castle.

Cristoforo Madruzzo – Principe Vescovo – owner of the castle from 1512 to 1578 stands with a sculpted bust at the top of the stairs to the first floor.

The 16th century castle wing is almost entirely frescoed and the frescoes are original, dating back to the 19th century. The coffered ceilings make the appearance of this perfectly preserved and renovated castle even more precious and unique.

At the basement, there are all the storages, a cellar and a big room with fireplace with direct exit out to the Italian garden.

The property is equipped with electricity, telephone (with extension to all bedrooms on the first floor, and 5 points on the ground floor and basement), water supply and sewerage; drinking water supply is guaranteed by an aqueduct with exclusive use.

The Land

The buildings are set on a 12 hectars park with century trees and other protected species and the area is surrounded by the ancient castle walls, which are perfectly illuminated giving a special look at the castle when the sun goes down. The collapsed part of the castle is a plus, since it gives the whole property that special charm of something lost in time.

Basically you can enjoy 3 different areas:

• The 12 hectares park, mainly wood, but also with large areas of lawn, where you can keep horses or organize events.
• The courtyard inside the inner walls of the castle: it is exceptionally big, so you can really enjoy this space.
• The Italian garden, also called the “evening garden” because when the evening comes, it’s very nice sitting down on the stone chairs and relax. This part of the house is very quiet and warm also during windy days, as it’s completely protected by the castle walls.

Thanks to its location 550 meters above sea level and close to Lake Garda, the area of the castle enjoys a mild climate, making it the perfect location for your relaxing moments away from chaos.

The Location

The location of the castle is unique, being placed on a ridge of rock that dominates the whole valley and the village below. Although it is very close to services and streets, its dominant position, enclosed within the castle walls, make sure that – once inside the property – you feel as if you are out of the world, surrounded by a peace and a silence that perhaps only at the time of the Princes was possible.

On a wider basis, the castle is close to Monte Bondone, where you can ski, go hiking or climbing.

Lake Garda is less than 30 minutes by car, so it’s very easy to reach when you wish to spend some time at the lake.

Trento is also half an hour by car: you’ll love this beautiful city, which has preserved the elegance and charm over the time, both in its architecture and inhabitants.

The History

The first documents quoting the castle date back to 1161 when the Prince Bishop of Trento Adalpreto II granted it as a fief to Gumpone and his nephew Boninsegna. The Boninsegna family were the founders of the first Madruzzo family.

In 1380 the male line of the Madruzzo became extinct. From here there were several handovers up to 1500, when Gian Gaudenzio of Denno-Nanno began to have himself called Madruzzo. He made significant improvements to the castle making it more comfortable and adapting the defensive walls to new firearms. One of his sons was Cristoforo Madruzzo who started the Council of Trento and was the first Prince Bishop belonging to the Madruzzo family, that ruled South-Tyrol for more than a century. During this period the castle was repeatedly enlarged and embellished and was used as a residence of the bishops and a place for important parties and guests.

In 1658, with the death of Carlo Emanuele Madruzzo, the men’s line of the second Madruzzo family also became extinct.

After other changes of ownership, today the castle is owned by a family from Milan that has been able to appreciate and respect its important history.

It’s time for you to start dreaming big.

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