Gancia's Castle

The Gancia Castle, currently the private property of the homonymous family, has an ancient and important history. Built to defend the trade route that connected Asti to the port of Savona, the building has been transformed, enlarged and embellished with sculptural elements over the centuries. In the 17th century, during the Monferrato War of Succession, the castle and fortifications were largely destroyed by the Spanish troops and subsequently rebuilt. In 1676 the Marquis Ambrogio Antonio Scarampi Crivelli carried out the first real restoration of the building, giving it, according to the taste of the time, the appearance of an elegant palace. Starting in the eighteenth century, the castle changed ownership several times, until 1929, when it was bought by the Gancia family who entrusted the transformation project to the architect Arturo Midana. Midana modifies the building by adding two wings to the original square structure and restoring an Italian garden. The rooms are embellished with the decorations of the painter Giovanni Olindo and the numerous stuccos on the ceilings complete an effect that, in the intent of the architect and the client, wants to give the castle its original seventeenth-century appearance. The castle, thus restored, still dominates the town from the top of the hill and is a panoramic landmark and symbol of Canelli.