On our third day in Oleggio Castello, the weather turned out to be a bit better.  There were specks of blue sky above us, unlike the day before, when clouds and rain were all one saw.  We decided to spend the day exploring the grounds of the hotel, as well as the castle, which gave both, the resort and the town, their names.  In order to do that, we had to cross over the bridge we had seen, when we walked into town along the street below.

The other side of the bridge brings you to the park area that surrounds the castle.  Here, there are paths to stroll along, and benches at various spots, and even the odd table or two.

The Castello Dal Pozzo has been the property of the Dal Pozzo family since 1837.  The building originally started out as the Castello Visconti, and dates from the year 1000 AD.  The Dal Pozzo family had the entire structure rebuilt in the 1800s.  Today ,it is considered to be one of the purest reinterpretations of the Gothic Tudor style of architecture in all of Italy.  After World War II, when the property was used to house displaced citizens, the castle was again remodeled, and finally opened as a five-star hotel.  There are guest rooms in two buildings on the property: in the one where we were staying, as well as on the first floor of the castle.  Guests were free to explore the grounds, as well as the ground floor of the castle at their leisure, so that is what we did.

Upon entering the castle, one is immediately transported to another time.  Once past the doorway, you find yourself in the portico d’ingresso, or the entrance hall.  In the past, this is where guests would wait for the butler to escort them inside.  Today, the hall is home to a display of objects the family used in their everyday activities.  Most of the furniture in the castle was actually designed by Claudio Dal Pozzo d’Annone, who lived from 1839 through 1885.  From here, you can also see the scalone principale, or the main staircase, access to which is limited to those who are actually staying in one of the first floor rooms.  The staircase is lined with pictures of family members, as well as their coat of arms.

 

Next up: We continue to explore the Castello Dal Pozzo, even returning later in the evening, for a barbecue dinner!

 

Note: This blog is written in English and Spanish, and the author takes no responsibility for the quality of any other translations that may appear.  If you have enjoyed this post, please, check out our archives for more posts from Oleggio Castello, as well as other Italian destinations.  Grazie!