Castel Madruzzo stands on a rocky hill, beyond the forest that covers the mountain in Valle Adige, in the province of Trento, in northern Italy. This medieval fortress, of which stories date back to the 12th century, is for sale in idealistic for €5.5 million. The castle mansion was built in the 16th century, and rebuilt in the 19th century, and has 2,500 m2 on four floors, with 30 rooms and 13 bathrooms, offered for hotel use.
Castel Madruzzo can be divided into three parts: the medieval part with the ruins of the two towersthe Renaissance part containing the residence connected to the first by high walls with two bastions and a large park completely enclosed by walls. The Gunpone and Boninsegna towersThe medieval part is in a precarious state, while the castle is in good condition and the 16th century part is perfectly habitable and fully furnished.
In the enclosure there is also a small church dedicated to Saint Nicholas, with frescoes and paintings in good condition and which has the coats of arms of the family and of the prince-bishop Cristoforo Madruzzo.
A castle with a lot of history
The first documents about the castle date from 1161 when the prince-bishop of Trent Adalpreto II granted it the fiefdom to Gumpone and his nephew Boninsegna. The latter were the progenitors of the first Madruzzo family.
During the clashes between Guelphs and Ghibellines, the madruzzos were always faithful to the bishops of Trento and for this reason they went for their rivals, who came to occupy the castle. At the end of the fights, the señorío returned to the possessions of the Madruzzo. In 1380, the male line of the Madruzzo died out and, after some inheritance struggles, the castle passed into the hands of the Roccabruna in 1389.
After passing through several owners who could not assume its maintenance, it came into the hands of giangaudenzio at the end of the 14th century, who began to be called Madruzzo and assumed a coat of arms that was based on that of the first-time family that owned the castle.
He made important improvements to the castle, making it more comfortable and adapting the defenses to the new firearms. In his second golden age, one of his sons was Cristoforo Madruzzo, who initiated the Council of Trent and who was the first of the prince-bishops belonging to this family that ruled Trentino for more than a century. During this period the castle was enlarged and was used as a residence for nobles.
For almost two centuries, until the death of Carlo Emanuele Madruzzo in 1658, the male line of the second Madruzzo family also became extinct. By marriage, the castle then passed to the Lenoncourts in 1661, who in turn died out, leaving their estates to the Carrettos of Genoa in 1691.
In 1703, the castle was burnt down by the troops of General Vendôme and almost completely destroyed during the invasion of Trentino in the framework of the War of the Spanish Succession. Rebuilt in the 19th century, it soon fell into ruin, also due to the disinterest of the Carretto family who sold it in 1873. Bought by the Larcher family, it was partially renovated and also welcomed Oreste Barattieri and Antonio Fogazzaro. In 1963 it was sold to the Montagna family of Milan.
For sale the historic Madruzzo castle in Trento (Italy) for 5.5 million