Among the hills of Monferrato, on the slopes dominated by the imposing castle, is Canelli. The castle, now privately owned by the Gancia family, has an ancient and important history. Built to defend the commercial route that connected Asti to the port of Savona, the structure, modernized and enlarged, has been enriched by architectural and sculptural elements over the centuries. In the 17th century, during Monferrato’s war of succession, the castle and the fortress were, to a great extent, destroyed by Spanish troops and immediately rebuilt. In 1676, the Marquis Ambrogio Antonio Scarampi Crivelli carried out the building’s first true restoration, giving it the look of a severely elegant building as was the fashion of the time. Beginning in the 18th century, the castle changed hands several times until 1929 when it was acquired by the Gancia family who entrusted the architect Arturo Midana with the responsibility of giving the palace back its ancient splendor. Midana made the building more impressive by adding two wings to the original square structure, underlining the 17th century aspect with reference to the ancient towers, and cleaning up the Italian style gardens destroyed by the Spanish. Even the choice of interior furnishings, absolutely period pieces, was precise. The halls have been adorned with decorations by the painter Giovanni Olindo and numerous works in polychromatic plaster on the ceilings complete the effect, bringing the castle back to its original look before the Spanish troops dismantled it.
