Castello di Villar Dora

The Castello di Villar Dora is a medieval feudal residence, one of the best-preserved in the Susa Valley. The first document mentioning Villar Dora dates back to 942. Perched on a rocky spur, it commands a view over the entire village and appears to have been inhabited since ancient times, due to its natural defensive position. Originally built to protect the local population from invasions in this historically contested border region, it was visually connected with the Castle of Avigliana and the Sacra of San Michele. Signalling with torches enabled rapid communication with Turin, alerting them to any enemy invasions from France.

The history of the Castle of Villar Dora
The Castle has been the scene of a number of significant historical events. A decisive battle between Constantine and Maxentius for the possession of the city of Susa took place at its base, followed by clashes between the Franks and the Lombards. In 1418, Pope Martin V Colonna stayed here on his return from the Council of Constance, under the protection of a military escort provided by the local feudal lords.

In 1691, the Castle was damaged by the French troops of the notorious Catinat, Marshal of France, who had completely destroyed the nearby Castle of Avigliana that same year. Unlike the fate of other castles in the Susa Valley, the Marshal decided not to raze the Castle of Villar Dora to the ground. In the mid-1700s, in a room that still bears his name today, King Charles Emmanuel III of Savoy was a guest at the residence.

Architectural enhancements
Between the late 1800s and the early 1900s, Count Annibale Antonielli d’Oulx commissioned one of the best architects of the time, Ernesto Bertea, to undertake significant renovation and expansion works, such as a series of massive arches support the castle’s walkways, giving the Castello di Villar Dora its impressive appearance even today!