"Natura in festa" at the Dal Pozzo Castle

In the town of Oleggio Castello, just 4 kilometres from the well-known town of Arona on the Piedmontese shore of Lake Maggiore, lies this beautiful castle from ancient history, which begins in 900 A.D., when a Roman castrum was brought to light. It  was called Q. Legio, name from which probably derived over the years the current  name of the town, Oleggio Castello. Then, around 1000 AD, a Visconti building was built on this pre-existing structure, which construction was commissioned by the Visconti family itself. In those years, the Visconti family moved from the shores of Lake Maggiore to the conquest of the Lordship of Milan, of which they had the dominion from 1277 to 1447, the year of Filippo Maria Visconti’s death. The following years were ominous for the castle: in absence of its masters, it was exposed to attacks, fires and intrusions that caused its partial destruction. Only towards the middle of the eighteenth Century the castle was rebuilt by the descendants of the Viscontis, then become of Aragon, who took back the domain and built a residential palace. A few years later, there was the crucial passage of the property from the Viscontis to the current owners, the Dal Pozzo family. The last owner belonging to the Visconti family, Alberto of Aragon, lost his property in favour of his sister, due to his active participation in the Carbonari uprisings, which cost him the death sentence and the expropriation of property. In the following years there was the transformation of the villa into a Victorian Neogothic castle to which the surrounding land was annexed, the current park. It was then abandoned for many years, until the decision was taken to give it new life, with the construction of the present hotel. The building enjoys a beautiful view of the lake and a wonderful lush park.

It is in this natural setting, steeped in ancient history, that the “Natura in festa” event was held on Sunday 5th May, which ended with an evening concert. In spite of the strong wind in the morning, we could completely enjoy the feast in the afternoon, as there came a splendid sun. Many activities were made, among these: the exhibition of plants and flowers, the stalls with local products, a yoga demonstration.

Source: 

https://www.castelliaperti.it/it/strutture/lista/item/castello-dal-pozzo-a-oleggio-castello.html