History and places

The town of Grinzane was built around a medieval castle: a handful of houses that together formed an interconnected settlement. Then, following a dramatic restoration in the 1960’s, the manor houses huddled around the castle were demolished to restore the castle’s original appearance.
Now the town rests at its feet, a set of eighteenth-century houses together with a small parish church dedicated to Maria Vergine del Carmine. From the esplanade of the castle there is a sweeping panorama over the Barolo hills.
Its name is connected to the Piedmontese statesman Count Camillo Benso di Cavour who lived in the castle for 17 years, albeit infrequently, and was mayor of the town until 1848. Owner of many local agricultural ventures (he owned several farms around the castle), Count Camillo experimented with new technologies in his cantina. Cavour, along with the Marquise Vitturnia Colbert Falletti of the Castle of Barolo opposite Grinzane, can be considered one of the founding fathers of Barolo wine.