Palazzotto Juva

Palazzotto Juva, located within the Cascina del Pascolo Nuovo, a short distance from the town of Volvera, is a 19th-century residence featuring exquisite neo-classical painted vaults. Though its history is long and not entirely documented, it has been carefully preserved by its owners, who have kept its legacy alive through stories and documents across the generations.

The residence owes its name to Giacomo Pio Juva, who purchased the cascina farm and land in 1797. The new owner built and restored the manor house, adding a medieval-inspired crenellated tower and a bell tower, expanding the large garden and converting the estate into the family’s summer retreat.

Previously, the cascina had belonged to the Governor of Pinerolo, Count Urbano Piossasco Folgoris di Scalenghe, who fell out of favour after surrendering and handing over the city of Pinerolo to the French. The history of its construction and changes of ownership are closely intertwined with the House of Savoy dynasty and its associated families.

The history of Palazzotto Juva
The earliest historical records of the Cascina del Pascolo Nuovo date back to 1628. In July of that year, as recorded by notary Vernetti, the community of Volvera sold ‘Cassina della Margheria’, or ‘Pasco’ as it was also known, to Count Urbano Piossasco Folgoris di Scalenghe del fu Conte Ottavio (son of the late Count Ottavio), an area spanning 215 acres located on the borders of Ayrasca and Volvera.

Count Urbano Piossasco Folgoris di Scalenghe served as the Governor of Pinerolo. In 1630, he braved a French siege led by Cardinal Richelieu’s troops, but was ultimately forced to surrender the city to the enemy. For reasons that remain unclear, or perhaps due to the fall of Pinerolo, Count Urbano Piossasco sold the Cascina del Pasco to Count Gettullio Piossasco di Rivalba on 7 July 1635. Count Gettullio was a notable musketeer under the Duke of Savoy and a prominent member of the Piossasco family, having been honoured with the highest and most prestigious chivalric Order of the Collar of the Annunciation by the House of Savoy.

On 9 September 1794, one of Count Gettullio’s descendants sold the estate to the Opera Pia dell’Albergo di Santa Croce in Villastellone. This institution was established by a wealthy merchant who took care of the poor, providing them with work in his factory and housing them in the Albergo hotel. In 1976, due to an inability to manage the estate in Volvera, it was put up for sale.

From the mid-1700s and throughout much of the 1800s, the types of crops grown here differed greatly from those of today. For example, a large area of fields was dedicated to rice cultivation, referred to as ‘risera‘ in the Piedmontese dialect. According to a map from 1746 drafted by Antonio Dompe and preserved in the Volvera municipal archives, there was a vast expanse of vineyards in front of the cascina.

In 1797, the Albergo di Santa Croce in Villastellone sold the entire 254.18-acre estate to Giacomo Pio Juva of Turin. After this acquisition, the Cascina del Pasco was renamed Cascina del Pascolo Nuovo to differentiate it from the older Cascina del Pascolo Vecchio located in the same area.

Giacomo Pio Juva, whose family originated from Cervata in Valle Sesia, married Maria Domenica Guerini della Vaira, and had three children: Giacomo Celestino, Spirito and Giocondo, who was a Canon at the Cathedral of Turin. In 1810, Giacomo Juva constructed the Palazzotto, along with the crenellated tower and the bell tower, establishing it as the family’s summer residence.

The tempera murals in the neo-classical style on the vaults of the two ground-floor salons depict landscapes of the Rhine Valley with its castles and are attributed to the painter Mariani, who repaid his patrons’ hospitality with his artwork. The property remained in the Juva family until 1970, when it was sold.

From the early 19th century, the Palazzotto, integrated into the old cascina, became a luxurious noble residence where the family spent their summer vacations.

On the first floor, the owners’ apartments, complete with services, were to the left of the staircase. On the opposite side were the guest suites, separated from the servants’ quarters. The garden was composed of grand trees sourced from distant countries, an icehouse built from tufa stone and shells, a well and the manor’s vegetable garden.

The agricultural section of the Cascina was rented out in the latter half of the 19th century until 1870, firstly to margari (dairy farmers) named Brusa, and later to the Canavesio family, who were initially dairy farmers and who eventually became the tenants.

By around 1920, the Cascina employed up to 40 workers during busy seasons. The vineyards and rice paddies had been replaced by wheat and corn fields and also meadows. The Canavesio spouses, Domenico and his wife, entered the estate first as sharecroppers and later as tenant farmers, along with their seven sons and four daughters: Caterina, Antonia, Michele, Giovanni, Domenico, Giuseppe, Carlo, Angelo, Rosa, Maddalena and Rita. They worked on the Cascina until 1961. Following a census, part of the Canavesio family moved to the nearby village. Domenico Canavesio, his wife Domenica Ecclesia, his mother Margherita Cavaglià and his sister Annamaria Canavesio remained until 1972 before relocating to the Cascina Pascolo Nuovissimo. The remaining part of the farm was rented out.

In the 1970s, a significant portion of the land of Cascina Pascolo Nuovo was sold to Fiat Ricambi (the spare parts division of Fiat) in Volvera for new factory developments. Subsequently, part of the Cascina Pascolo Nuovo was rented out, and the Palazzotto garden was used as a storage area for building materials, with the old stable converted into a workshop for manufacturing car filters.

The Palazzotto underwent a series of changes, with families residing on the first floor while the frescoed salons on the ground floor remained closed.

On 26 June 1986, ownership of Palazzotto Juva transferred from the Sella family to the Sella-Pollone Art Foundation based in Turin on Via Maria Vittoria, where all the family’s artistic assets were collected. Part of the garden was first rented out and later sold to a transport company.

On 23 March 1987, the Superintendence declared the property an Artistic Asset under Law 1089 of 1939, mandating that any restoration work be approved by the Superintendence of Architectural Heritage before proceeding.

The Canavesio-Bruno spouses purchased a portion of Cascina Pascolo Nuovo in 1995 and subsequently also acquired Palazzotto Juva in 2002. The palazzo underwent slow but laborious restoration work, as did the park, which was revived after years of neglect. From 2003, Palazzotto Juva was reopened to the public and became a venue for artistic events.

Description of the complex
Originally built as a closed courtyard farmhouse, the complex occupied a strategic location along the route between Stupinigi and Pinerolo, close to the Via Francigena. Indeed, pilgrims pass by as part of their pilgrimage route during the summer months even today.

The exact date of the farmhouse’s construction is unknown; the earliest recorded document is a deed of sale for the already functioning land dating back to 1628, suggesting that it is likely to be even older. The structure forms a single unit, consisting of the noble residence, the head sharecroppers’ lodgings, the stables, the barns and the carriage house, all arranged over two floors.

The noble residence is the only part of the building that is not aligned with the other sections. It was demolished during the 19th century and the floors were raised to create an elevated ground floor and vaulted halls with paintings and decorations, transforming the house into a palazzo. The artwork and decor reflect the styles and tastes of the Rhine Valley, particularly Heidelberg (the lady of the house was the daughter of the Lords of Heidelberg, inventors of the printing press). Depictions include the castle, the palazzo, the river, a giant beer barrel and the family crest. The ground floor houses the living area, with rooms designated for men, women and children, as well as a dining room, a kitchen and a bedroom.

On the first floor, after ascending the grand staircase, there are two apartments and access to the tower, which is dedicated to the painter Mariani. In addition to the raising of the floors of the building, a crenellated tower, a cellar and an icehouse were also added; the latter was demolished in the last century due to its poor condition.

The park contains numerous valuable, centuries-old trees and plants, including magnolias, linden trees, hydrangeas and roses. The most striking features of the park are two towering male ginkgo biloba trees. This year, the European Old Garden has officially recognised it as a European park. To add a modern touch, the current owners have installed contemporary sculptures, creating a striking contrast between the old and the new. These sculptures are by artists Nino Ventura, Bruno Demasi, Claudio Carieri, Elio Garis and Michelangelo Tallone.

Facilities and services at Palazzotto Juva
Visitors enter through the park, which leads to the ground-floor rooms, including the Hall of Medallions, the Cartouche Room, the Hall of Shells, the dining room, the servants’ quarters and the spacious kitchen with an adjacent porch leading to the courtyard garden. From this point, guests can explore the farmhouse rooms, which have preserved the rustic charm of simple country life, devoid of elaborate ornamentation. It is also possible to visit the garden and the agricultural part of the estate, where displays of old farming tools, as well as paintings and sculptures by contemporary artists, are exhibited.