Le Torrette - Castello Rocca Grimalda, Rocca Grimalda, Italy

The castle, built at the top of a rocky spur, is located in a strategically important place, both because it is easily defensible and because it controls the roads between the Ovada Oltregiogo and the Alessandria plain, in an area of ​​strong contrasts between the Monferrato and Liguria.
The construction of the castle has developed over the centuries around the mighty circular tower datable between the 12th and 13th centuries. Initially made up of a polygonal structure intended for surveillance troops, the castle, initially included in the fief of the Malaspina, was transformed into a noble residence by the Alexandrian family of the Trotti around the middle of the 15th century. Subsequently, the Grimaldis, illustrious Genoese patricians, bought it in 1570 and resided there for more than 200 years, completing its construction at the end of the 1700s with the majestic western facade.

The Tower consists of 5 superimposed rooms, accessed via a spiral staircase inside the perimeter wall. Small loopholes illuminate the rooms, while the battlements were destroyed by lightning at the end of the 19th century. Used for centuries as a prison, it preserves, through the soot on the walls and the graffiti engraved on the walls, the memory of those who were imprisoned there.

The chapel, of large dimensions and still in use, was commissioned by Giovanni Battista Grimaldi III at the end of the 18th century at the base of the western wing of the castle. The interior is richly decorated in trompe l\'oeil, with the addition of polychrome stucco.

The garden dates back to the mid-1700s when Battista Grimaldi decided to expand the space in front of the castle to create a splendid viewpoint over the Orba valley. The recently restored garden is divided into 3 parts according to the Baroque scheme: the Italian garden, the grove or romantic garden, and the secret garden with aromatic and medicinal herbs, of medieval monastic inspiration.

As for the apartment, the furniture reflects the tradition of the place even with a renovated and recently refurbished structure. It will be like going back centuries!