Castello di Uviglie, Medieval castle in Rosignano Monferrato, Italy.
Castello di Uviglie is a stone fortress located on a hilltop with a central square tower as its main feature. The grounds contain gardens with exotic plants alongside working vineyards that cover the surrounding slopes.
A first fortification dates to the 14th century and incorporated an earlier church dedicated to Sant'Eusebio di Vercelli. On 14 June 1322, Marquis Teodoro I of Monferrato granted the noble Pocaparte family the licence "Hedificandi Castrum Ivilie" as their fortified residence; the round tower, keep and the wall supporting the later hanging garden belong to this phase. In 1499 Giovanni Antonio Pico obtained jurisdiction over the castle and fief from Marquis Gian Giacomo Paleologo, founding the Pico Gonzaga line, which in 1680 was granted the title of Count of Uviglie by Duke Ferdinando Carlo of Mantua and Monferrato.
A small octagonal chapel dedicated to Saint Eusebio sits on the grounds and reflects the religious life of earlier centuries. The building shows classical design choices that local families valued during that era.
Visiting requires advance notice and coordination through the reception desk for scheduling purposes. It is best to plan ahead since both wine tastings and guided tours of the property need to be arranged beforehand.
After the Ethiopian war, Queen Elena of Savoy arranged for the daughter and young grandsons of Haile Selassie, the last negus of Ethiopia, to stay at the castle, which the Missionaries of the Consolata then used as a novitiate from 1928.
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