PAOLA

I take care of my guests
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Hi, I’m Paola, together with my husband Giorgio I created that small farm-house in the Castle of Maranzana: a client once called it “a bonbon box”.

I attend to my guests.
The best part of my job surely is the relationship with them: thanks to them, everyday is a different and exciting adventure!

I’m looking forward to welcome you in my house, because the castle is really my home, I love it a lot and I’m planning to make you fall in love with it too!

GIORGIO

the Gardener
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Hi, I’m Giorgio, but everyone call me “the gardener” because I’m the one who looks after the farm.

I grow up vegetables, fruits and herbs for the farm restaurant. I have also a small vineyard of the celebrate grapes “Brachetto d’Acqui”.

And, of course, I take care of my courtyard animals at the Corral Creek.

The Castle of Maranzana

A FINE BUILDING DATING XII/XIII CENTURY

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You can access to the castle from the square in front of the Parish Church, walking along what once was the drawbridge surrounded by the moat and passing by the Church of the Oratory.
Now the bridge is of bricks and the moat is a garden.

If you look at the walls, you will recognize the traces of swallow-tailed merlons, the observatories and the loopholes which were used to spot enemies and hit them throwing hot oil and pitch!

The Castle is located in a “strategic” position at the top of the hill where the village of Maranzana lies, so from the windows of the castle you can enjoy an amazing view … no more to spy on approaching enemies … but to admire the hills and orderly rows of vines, recently declared Unesco World Heritage Site, thick woods, the green plain, the Alps (Monviso, Cervino, Monte Rosa) and the Apennines!

It is said that the castle was connected to the hills and the village through a dense network of underground tunnels which served as an escape route in case of siege: no one has seen it, but it is certain that there is a second basement floor in the basement of the building yet unexplored and the gateway, although walled, stands out clearly in our cellar. The door was walled in 800 by our great-grandfather, for preventing access to the infamous “trap” , where in ancient times, unwanted guests were made fall..

The Farm

EIGHT ACRES GROWN WITH LOVE

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In about 8 acres of land we grow vegetables, fruits, hazelnuts, edible flowers, herbs, grapes “Moscato”, “Chardonnay”, “Brachetto d’Acqui”, “Cortese”, “Dolcetto”.

We cook our products in the farm restaurant or we sell them directly to anyone who wants to put fresh, local and healthy food on the table.

Discover how good and tasty the freshly picked vegetables are!

With our fruits we make the classic sweet jams, for breakfast and for cooking cakes and biscuits, and also special recipes, to serve with the tasting local cheeses.

Come visit the farm garden and all the courtyard animals in the “Corral Creek” , along the “Path of the Pope”, a nice walk or bike ride for the whole family!

Besides, in the farm garden you’ll find the picnic area, for a refreshing stop!