Description
In this site you have to do a remarkable mental exercise to imagine what the castle was like because of the ancient manor there is nothing left ... or almost: we have some remnants that are part of the subterranean and outer bastion, some parts of capitals, pieces of balustrade and other finds scattered in the park and the gallery called "Galleria di Maria Bricca".
It was perhaps built by Bishop Landolfo who, shortly after the year 1000, had built a series of castles to defend the territory where he was in fact exercising powers of lordship.
It was already in 1159, when Emperor Federico I Barbarossa confirmed to the bishop Carlo of Turin all the imperial public rights that he already had in a circle of 10 miles around Turin: in particular for Pianezza mentions the concession of the court, the castle and the Pieve’s military and judicial jurisdiction.
The castle was almost peaking over the Dora, in an optimal position of control over the “via Francigena” that passed along the river.
We can describe it as it was in the Simiana’s time, when the medieval fortress was transformed into a noble residence. The manor looked like a superb building with three floors over the ground, with a square plan of over 40 m. The covered area was therefore about 1500 m2 per floor, featuring rooms, living rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, corridors, staircases and spiral stairs and terraces with marble balustrades. On the ground floor there were about fifteen large premises and as many minor or service areas. In the center there was a large lounge with six columns, flanked by living room with high ceiling, the classical dance hall with chandeliers coming down from above and spatially occupying the central part of the second floor up to the attic; most likely, at the time of transformation into a castle-residence, the inner courtyard was transformed into a large salon.
The first floor was accessed through a two-lane ladder of honor, which entered to a vestibule. The rooms’ number and layout was approximately equal to that of the ground floor, plus there was a chapel. The surface of the second and last floor was slightly lower, it had about twenty rooms, on average smaller than those on the lower floors. Undergrounds completed the building, with numerous premises such as kitchens, warehouses and cellars, two ovens and two wells.
To the west of the castle there were large Italian gardens with flowerbeds and water games, which came directly from the Dora, thanks to a series of hydraulic pumps, while in the space occupied nowadays by Villa Lascaris, there were the stable surmounted by barns. In another building, “citroniera” (great stable) was obtained.
When Piedmont was occupied by Napoleon and annexed to France, the castle was declared a national good, auctioned in 1808 and assigned to Saroldi, Berta and Marengo, who dismantled the castle to sell the pieces still usable. In 1811 the site was sold to Marquis Agostino Lascaris of Ventimiglia who built the villa.
A BIT OF HISTORY
In 1706, during the war of Spanish succession, Pianezza's castle important role began in the war fought between French and Piedmontese.
The French, with 44000 men, began sibling the city of Turin (which could count only 12000 men) on May 12, 1706. On 5 September, a convoy of supplies and casks with salaries for troops began, locked in the castle, already occupied by them. It was immediately surrounded by the grenades of Brandenburg commanded by Prince Anhalt.
According to tradition, when the night came, a young populace, named Maria Bricca, led the prince and 55 grenadiers through a secret road leading to the cellars of the castle: she led them along the secret galleries, they climbed by a spiral staircase (we have trace in the gallery of Maria Bricca) and burst into the ballroom of the castle, where it seems that the French officers were even grinning convinced of the victory. The castle was captured, many captives and many victims were among the enemies. French sources of the time mention this event and the fact that their troops were surprised by the help of a woman and the use of an underground path leading to the walls of the castle, more precisely to the dance hall. The castle was then released and the treasure chests, which they had brought inside, fell into the hands of the Piedmontese troops.
This is surely the most important historical episode linked to the castle of Pianezza, which anticipates for only two days the victory over the French with the liberation of Turin from the long siege that had been subjected to the city.
It was perhaps built by Bishop Landolfo who, shortly after the year 1000, had built a series of castles to defend the territory where he was in fact exercising powers of lordship.
It was already in 1159, when Emperor Federico I Barbarossa confirmed to the bishop Carlo of Turin all the imperial public rights that he already had in a circle of 10 miles around Turin: in particular for Pianezza mentions the concession of the court, the castle and the Pieve’s military and judicial jurisdiction.
The castle was almost peaking over the Dora, in an optimal position of control over the “via Francigena” that passed along the river.
We can describe it as it was in the Simiana’s time, when the medieval fortress was transformed into a noble residence. The manor looked like a superb building with three floors over the ground, with a square plan of over 40 m. The covered area was therefore about 1500 m2 per floor, featuring rooms, living rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, corridors, staircases and spiral stairs and terraces with marble balustrades. On the ground floor there were about fifteen large premises and as many minor or service areas. In the center there was a large lounge with six columns, flanked by living room with high ceiling, the classical dance hall with chandeliers coming down from above and spatially occupying the central part of the second floor up to the attic; most likely, at the time of transformation into a castle-residence, the inner courtyard was transformed into a large salon.
The first floor was accessed through a two-lane ladder of honor, which entered to a vestibule. The rooms’ number and layout was approximately equal to that of the ground floor, plus there was a chapel. The surface of the second and last floor was slightly lower, it had about twenty rooms, on average smaller than those on the lower floors. Undergrounds completed the building, with numerous premises such as kitchens, warehouses and cellars, two ovens and two wells.
To the west of the castle there were large Italian gardens with flowerbeds and water games, which came directly from the Dora, thanks to a series of hydraulic pumps, while in the space occupied nowadays by Villa Lascaris, there were the stable surmounted by barns. In another building, “citroniera” (great stable) was obtained.
When Piedmont was occupied by Napoleon and annexed to France, the castle was declared a national good, auctioned in 1808 and assigned to Saroldi, Berta and Marengo, who dismantled the castle to sell the pieces still usable. In 1811 the site was sold to Marquis Agostino Lascaris of Ventimiglia who built the villa.
A BIT OF HISTORY
In 1706, during the war of Spanish succession, Pianezza's castle important role began in the war fought between French and Piedmontese.
The French, with 44000 men, began sibling the city of Turin (which could count only 12000 men) on May 12, 1706. On 5 September, a convoy of supplies and casks with salaries for troops began, locked in the castle, already occupied by them. It was immediately surrounded by the grenades of Brandenburg commanded by Prince Anhalt.
According to tradition, when the night came, a young populace, named Maria Bricca, led the prince and 55 grenadiers through a secret road leading to the cellars of the castle: she led them along the secret galleries, they climbed by a spiral staircase (we have trace in the gallery of Maria Bricca) and burst into the ballroom of the castle, where it seems that the French officers were even grinning convinced of the victory. The castle was captured, many captives and many victims were among the enemies. French sources of the time mention this event and the fact that their troops were surprised by the help of a woman and the use of an underground path leading to the walls of the castle, more precisely to the dance hall. The castle was then released and the treasure chests, which they had brought inside, fell into the hands of the Piedmontese troops.
This is surely the most important historical episode linked to the castle of Pianezza, which anticipates for only two days the victory over the French with the liberation of Turin from the long siege that had been subjected to the city.
Indirizzo e punti di contatto
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Address | Via Lascaris (oggi via al Borgo) |
| Information | STORIA Nel 1706, durante la guerra di successione spagnola, iniziò il ruolo importante del castello di Pianezza nella guerra che si combatteva tra francesi e piemontesi. I francesi, con 44 000 uomini, iniziarono l’assedio della città di Torino (che poteva contare solo su 12 000 uomini) il 12 maggio 1706. Il 5 settembre parte di un convoglio di rifornimenti e casse con gli stipendi per le truppe, si rinchiude nel castello, già occupato da loro. Viene subito circondato dai Granatieri di Brandeburgo comandati dal principe di Anhalt. Secondo la tradizione, sopraggiunta la notte, una giovane popolana, di nome Maria Bricca, guidò il principe e 55 granatieri per una via segreta che conduceva alle cantine del castello: li condusse lungo le gallerie segrete, salirono per una scala a chiocciola (ne abbiamo traccia nella galleria detta di Maria Bricca) e irruppero nella sala da ballo del castello, dove pare che gli ufficiali francesi stessero addirittura gozzovigliando convinti della vittoria. Il castello venne espugnato, vennero fatti molti prigionieri e molte vittime fra i nemici. Le fonti francesi dell’epoca menzionano questo avvenimento e il fatto che le loro truppe sono state sorprese grazie all’aiuto di una donna e all’utilizzo di un percorso sotterraneo che conduceva fin dentro le mura del castello, anzi, più esattamente, al salone da ballo. Il castello venne quindi liberato e le casse del tesoro, che avevano portato all'interno, cadono in mano alle truppe piemontesi |
Map
Indirizzo: Via Lascaris, 4, 10044 Pianezza TO
Coordinate: 45°5'50,1''N 7°32'47,1''E
Indicazioni stradali (Opens in new tab)
Modalità di accesso
L'accesso al Castello è tramite rampa o scala