Foresteria del Castello - San Giorgio Canavese, Italy 

Foresteria del Castello details:  Occupying a wing of the magnificent Castle of the Counts of Biandrate, this small and exclusive hotel, opened in 2006, boasts panoramic views of the surrounding centuries-old park and the Alps.

Standing on a rocky outcrop above the town, the castle was originally designed as a military fortress, but was rebuilt several times over the centuries. In 1726, its medieval towers were demolished to make room for a majestic palace consisting of a long three-storey building, with three projecting wings separated by courtyards.

Guests will marvel at this palace, with its vast central hall, which rises up through the full height of the building and leads to guestrooms that stand out for their beautiful polychrome decorations.

The hotel is both an ideal place to host meetings, with 15 fully-equipped, 200-capacity congress rooms, and a great starting point for a trip to San Giorgio’s many cultural attractions. Guests can rent bikes from the hotel and explore the beautiful surroundings.

Foresteria del Castello (Castle Guest House) was opened in February 2006 on the eve of the Winter Olympics. It occupies a wing of the castle which has been turned into a small, but comfortable and exclusive hotel.

10 rooms, all different and furnished with period pieces, overlook the large park and enjoy a magnificent view of the Alps. The car park is located at the entrance, near the gate. You can come to the Foresteria for loading and unloading your car.

The hotel offers 15 conference rooms, with capacities of between 20 and 200 people. All are fully equipped for meetings, receptions and other kinds of events. The castle can also host banquets for a maximum of 800 guests. The lower floor, where the kitchens were originally housed, has also been restored and will seat a further 250 people.

After the Peace of Cherasco in 1631, San Giorgio, like other towns in the Canavese region, became part of the Savoy dominions, and the castle, having lost its defensive role, was gradually transformed into the palace which is still admired today, filled with splendid frescoes and decorations.

During the 19th century, the buildings fell into decay and, although this caused some damage to the structure, it did at least mean that much of the 18th-century detail survived and has now been made even more attractive by the careful restoration work undertaken by the present owner of the castle.