Year erected: 1000
What is the history of the property?
The Castrum was called Q.Legio, from which the name Olegio seems to derive, Olezo, named Oleggio Castello in honor of the Visconti building built around the year 1000. It was precisely from the shores of Lake Maggiore that the Visconti, around 1200, moved to the dominion of the Signoria of Milan, assumed since 1277 and which ended with the death of Filippo Maria (1447), whose only daughter Bianca was married to Francesco Sforza who continued the splendor and independence of the Duchy of Milan. In the following centuries, the castle was abandoned until a partial, but substantial destruction. Only in the mid-sixteenth century, the descendants of the Visconti, who became Aragon in 1426 by concession of King Ferdinando of Naples, recovering the remains of the Castle, they rebuilt a residential building. The marquis Alberto Visconti d'Aragona, the last of this name, was implicated for his active participation in the Carbonari uprisings and, for this, tried, sentenced to death and the expropriation of property. The properties passed to his sister Virginia, wife of Bonifazio dal Pozzo d'Annone, of Piedmontese origin, of Rovereto, later renamed Alessandria in honor of Rolando Bandinelli, Pope Alexander III in 1167. His son Claudio (1839-1885), passionate about Richard Popwell Pullan, William Burgess' s brother - in - law and follower of the Augustus Pugin school, was commissioned to redesign and restructure the structure, transforming it into a Gothic - Revival style castle surrounded by a majestic park. Next to it stands the eighteenth-century palace where Alberto Visconti d'Aragona lived until his death after being pardoned. Died in 1895, he is buried, together with his wife Donna Luigia, of the Marquis of Monticelli Obizzi, in the cemetery of Oleggio Castello. The palace was a refuge and home for many local families with the succession of the World Wars. Subsequently, when Oleggio Castello, leaving Paruzzaro became an autonomous Municipality, the Palace, by concession of the family, was for some decades the seat of the Municipal school of Oleggio Castello and later abandoned. In recent years it was renovated and meticulously transformed into a magnificent Luxury Boutique Hotel, destined to project the small and peaceful Municipality of Oleggio Castello onto the most coveted international scenario. The entire property belongs to the Dal Pozzo d'Annone family and is still the seat of the family.
What was the era and/or the architectural style in which the property was built?
A corner of England
British art experts have defined the architecture of the Castle as one of the purest examples of the Gothic Revival, very popular in the Victorian era. The Marquis Claudio Dal Pozzo d 'Annone was a passionate scholar of the 16th century Gothic style and the Castle reflects this artistic passion. Outside the castle has a very compact physiognomy. The grandiose landscaping emphasizes it all. The 24-hectare park is surrounded by rare arboreal essences of great botanical interest. The entrance porch, the chapel, the massive square tower from the east, the small octagonal tower on the south-western corner, reveal the spirit of the Anglo-Saxon style. The architecture blends with the typical internal decoration of the period: the stained glass windows of the windows of the apse of the chapel, the wrought iron gates taken from Scottish models, low reliefs set on the external walls of the building, coats of arms and sculptures of various origins . The careful study and loving care for the execution of every detail is clear. The stencils on the walls, the decorations of the tiles and the decorations of the furniture, bring to the spirit and cultural climate of the artistic movement called 'Gothic Revival' and are taken from the book of drawings 'Of Ecclesiastical Monuments' by Augustus Pugin, upon whose death He was succeeded by architects of the caliber of William Burgess and then William Morris whose movement called 'Arts and Crafts' influenced architecture, interior design and decorative arts. Although the Gothic Revival style uses simple forms with decorations taken from the medieval era, it could be argued that the movement already lays the foundations of modern design.
Is the property surrounded by other historic buildings?
Yes, the palazzo and the historical stables
Has restoration work taken place?
Yes
Are there any elements of particular historical importance at the building?
Everything :-)
Has the property received any certifications for its historical status?
yes
Would you describe your property as (or has it ever been in the past) a: ✔ Castle
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