Pavone Canavese

Pavone lies on the slopes of rock formations filed by prehistoric glaciers that descended from the Valle d'Aosta. Monte Appareglio, commonly referred to as 'Paraj Auta', rises in the northern part of the Ivrea Morainic Amphitheatre, the largest in Europe, created by the retreat of the imposing Alpine glaciers. On the 'Paraj Auta' there are several marked itineraries, interesting from a geological and naturalistic point of view. In medieval times, Pavone was home to the ricetto, which is still partly preserved and visible. In the ricetto, crops were stored and, in the event of an alarm, families, animals and everyday tools found shelter. The ricetto stood on the same hill as the castle. The core is elongated along the north-south axis, to the west it is bordered by an overhang and was accessed via a tower-gate on the northern side. There was also an internal connection to the castle on the eastern side. The internal urban structure is articulated along two main longitudinal street axes. The building cells are single in the side strips and double in the central and northern end. Some of these cells are still well preserved and it can be seen that the building material used is split stone from the hill on which the ricetto is built.

The Castello di Pavone is one of the most beautiful Italian monuments and is considered one of the most scenic and fairy-tale castles in the world. In 1885 it was bought by Alfredo d'Andrade who restored it using innovative techniques and principles. Today, the castle is home to a restaurant, 4-star hotel and conference centre.