Castle Cavour of Santena, castle and museum in Santena, Italy

Castello Cavour di Santena is a villa built between 1712 and 1722 to a design by Francesco Gallo for Carlo Ottavio Benso, replacing an earlier fortified castle with towers, walls and moats. Its centrepiece is the Salone delle cacce, whose white stuccoes of leaves, game and weapons are finished with real horns of Alpine animals shown as hunting trophies. The dining room holds twelve canvases of animals by Giovanni Crivelli, and the Chinese salon is lined with painted silk panels.

A fortified castle with towers, walls and moats stood here until 1708, when Carlo Ottavio Benso had it demolished. The present villa was designed by Francesco Gallo and built between 1712 and 1722. After the male Benso di Santena line died out in 1748, a dispute with the Benso di Cavour ended in 1777 with the whole property passing to them. Around 1840 Marquis Ainardo Benso had the castle enlarged under architect Melchiorre Pulciano.

The castle served as a showcase residence for the Benso di Cavour family, displaying through its rooms how northern Italian nobility lived during the 19th century. Visitors today see firsthand the furnishings and spaces where important family members conducted both private and official affairs.

The castle is accessible to visitors through guided tours and sits near Turin with convenient access. The best time to visit is during warmer months when the gardens are fully maintained and you can explore the outdoor grounds comfortably.

The Salone della caccia, the castle's central hall, is decorated with white stucco leaves, game and weapons, and real horns of Alpine animals mounted as hunting trophies. At its centre stands a round Empire-style table with a Sèvres porcelain bowl given by Napoleon III to Camillo Benso at the 1856 Congress of Paris.