Gressoney-Saint-Jean Savoy Castle
The Savoy Castle, built at the behest of Queen Margaret of Savoy, is located at the foot of the Ranzola Pass in the locality known as “Belvedere,” due to its splendid view over the valley to the Lyskamm glacier.
Its construction began on August 24, 1899 and was completed in 1904, after the death of King Humbert I. The Queen stayed here during her summers until 1925.
In 1936, the castle was purchased by the Milanese industrialist Moretti, and in 1981 it passed into the ownership of the Autonomous Region of Valle d’Aosta.
The Interiors
Architecture and Decorations of the Savoy Castle
The building has a rectangular central core with five medieval-style cusped turrets.
Ornamental paintings by young painter and restorer Carlo Cussetti adorn the linen and silk fabric walls, while the medieval-inspired furniture and coffered ceilings are the work of Turin carver Michele Dellera. A tour of the castle begins on the ground floor, with a vast ornate dining room and a semicircular veranda overlooking the valley.
Continuing on, there is the game room with the original billiard table and sitting rooms. Ascending to the main floor via an elegant oak staircase with carvings of griffins and eagles, one enters the royal apartments.
In the room dedicated to the spiritual father who accompanied the royals on their vacations in Gressoney, photos of the Queen and her retinue during leisure time in the mountains are on display.
The apartments of King Humbert I house other curious period photographs. The Queen’s apartment is particularly charming, furnished in the eclectic style she loved, with furniture partly from the Villa Margherita.
Next to the room, there is a bathroom and, in the northern tower, a lovely boudoir with faux drapery painted on the walls, recalling the decoration of Issogne Castle.
From the windows of this room, there is a magnificent view of Mount Rosa and the entire valley.
The room next to the Queen’s is dedicated to Crown Prince Umberto II.
queen daisy ring
Anello Regina Margherita, Via Monte Rosa, Gressoney-Saint-Jean, AO, Italia